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GEORGE  HERBERT  BETTS,  Editor 


WEEK-DAY  SCHOOL  SERIES 


CITIZEN,  JR. 


By 

CLARA   EWING   ESPEY 


THE  ABINGDON  PRESS 

NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


f  7E7 


Copyright,  1922,  by 

CLARA  EWING  ESPEY 

All  Rights  Reserved 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


The  Bible  text  used  in  this  volume  is  taken  from  the  American  Standard 
Edition  of  the  Revised  Bible,  copyright,  1901,  by  Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons,  and 
is  used  by  pennission. 


CONTENTS 
group  page 

Introduction 7 

I.  YOU,  A  JUNIOR  CITIZEN 

Lesson  i.   Diamonds  and  Citizens 10 

Lesson  2.  Choosing 14 

II.  VOYAGES  OF  DISCOVERY 

Lesson  3.   Following  the  Star 20 

Lesson  4.   Pirates  and  Policemen 25 

III.  A  SQUARE  DEAL 

Lesson  5.   "See  Saw,  Margery  Daw**.  . .     31 
Lesson  6.   Paying  Your  Way 36 

IV.  FINDING  WISDOM 

Lesson  7.   The  Game 42 

Lessons.  The  Wise  Owl 50 

V.  NEIGHBORS 

Lesson  9.  Touchstone  Tests 58 

Lesson  10.  The  Street  of  the  Golden 
Mile 66 

VI.  PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS 

Lesson  ii.  A  Real  American 76 

Lesson  12.  Loving  Your  Country 84 


489 


'i  i  'i 


4  CONTENTS 

GROUP  PAGE 

VII.  AEROPLANE  SERVICE 

Lesson  13.   Bird*s-Eye  Views 92 

Lesson  14.   Into  All  the  World 97 

VIII.  SUNLIGHT  LIVING 

Lesson  15.   "Old  Faithful." 104 

Lesson  16.   The  Coming  of  the  Sun 108 

IX.  THE  PATH  OF  WHITE  SHINING 

Lesson  17.   Dunce-Cap  Talk 116 

Lesson  18.   Masks 120 

X.  BLUEBIRDS  FOR  HAPPINESS 

Lesson  19.   Down  in  the  Mouth 126 

Lesson  20.   Grit  Going  to  Waste 130 

XL  TESTS  OF  COURAGE 

Lesson  21.   Everyday  Adventures 138 

Lesson  22.  When  the  Crowd  Laughs.  .   145 

XII.  TWO  PUZZLES 

Lesson  23.  A  Rebus 150 

Lesson  24.  Wardrobe  Puzzles 154 

XIII.  COUNTING  UP 

Lesson  25.   Monkey  Living. 160 

Lesson  26.   Citizen  Treasures 163 

XIV.  THE  KEEPER  OF  THE  GATE 

Lesson  27.  Your  Money's  Worth.  ....   168 
Lesson  28.   Goblins  and  Genii. 173 


CONTENTS  S 

PAGE 

XV.  TELLING  TIME 

Lesson  29.  The  Time  Bank 180 

Lesson  30.  A  Mouse  in  the  Clock 187 

XVI.  IN  HIS  NAME 

Lesson  31.   "Our  Father" 194 

Lesson  32.   In  Remembrance 197 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/citizenjrOOesperich 


INTRODUCTION 

You  will  notice  that  the  lessons  in  this  book  are 
grouped  in  pairs  and  that  at  the  beginning  of  each  of  these 
groups  there  is  a  small  picture.  These  pictures  are 
different  from  the  usual  illustrations.  They  are  for 
symbols,  or  guide  signs,  to  mark  the  lesson  groups  and 
to  remind  you  of  the  big,  important  thought  that  you 
work  out  there. 

If  you  would  like  to  use  these  little  symbol  pictures  to 
help  you  to  make  a  notebook  picture-record  of  your 
citizen  progress  and  practice,  your  teacher  can  get  them 
for  you,  printed  separately,  ready  for  you  to  use.  Then 
you  can  earn  them  as  you  go  along. 

Your  teacher  and  you  can  work  out  the  plan  that  you 
wish  to  follow  in  this  way  of  using  the  pictures.  Here 
are  some  ideas  as  suggestions. 

The  symbol  for  Group  I  can  be  a  special  one  to  be 
awarded  by  your  teacher  when  she  notices  some  special 
citizen-progress  or  gain.  It  might  be  given  when  a  mem- 
ber of  the  class  reports  some  fine  point  observed  in  some- 
one else's  citizenship,  or  it  might  be  received  by  the  per- 
son whose  citizen  effort  or  conduct  is  reported  in  this 
way.  It  might  also  be  gained  by  a  good  piece  of  work  in 
the  notebook  record,  or  something  special  thought  out 
or  done. 

The  other  symbols  you  might  earn  by  making  a 
special  note  of  something  that  you  do  to  practice  a  lesson, 
or  by  your  bringing  to  class  some  of  the  work  suggested, 
or  by  memorizing  the  work  that  is  assigned,  etc.  Each 
time  you  will  ask  yourself  before  claiming  the  point: 
"Have  I  truly  earned  the  right  to  this?  Would  I  feel  that 

7 


f      r      t     r 
r   r        '     r, 

f       f  ft 


''  '■  h''-  ''■W':'-^ :    ;  -VINTRODUCTION 


it  should  be  awarded  to  someone  else  who  claimed  it  for 
the  same  reason?" 

Since  no  two  boys  or  girls  are  exactly  alike,  and  since 
the  things  that  happen  to  them  and  those  that  they  need 
to  learn  and  gain  are  not  the  same,  you  will  want  to 
answer  for  yourself  these  two  questions,  too: 

1.  Need  I  try  to  "beat"  anybody  by  the  number  of 
points  I  gain,  or  shall  I  try  to  improve  my  own  record 
as  I  know  it  myself? 

2.  Shall  I  compare  myself  with  others  in  my  efforts, 
or  shall  I  keep  my  eyes  on  the  perfect  pattern — the 
citizen  ideal  "till  we  all  attain  unto  .  .  .  the  knowledge 
of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  full  grown  man,  unto  the 
measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fullness  of  Christ,  that  we 
may  be  no  longer  children,  .  .  .  but  speaking  the  truth 
in  love,  may  grow  up  in  all  things  unto  him  who  is  the 
head,  even  Christ"? 


GROUP  I 

Lessons  i  and  2 

YOU,  A  JUNIOR  CITIZEN 

When  you  read  the  words 
"Citizen,  Jr."  you  can  imagine 
that  your  own  name  is  printed 
beside  them,  for  you  are  really  a 
Junior  Citizen.  This  means  that 
you  are  no  longer  just  a  child, 
though  you  are  not  yet  grown 
up.  You  are  "sort  of  in  be- 
tween," getting  ready  to  be  all 
that  a  citizen  can  be.  In  order 
to  work  out  the  different  things 
that  you  will  want  to  know,  it 
may  help  you  to  have  a  kind  of 
manual,  a  little  book  such  as  you  have  for  your  Boy 
Scout,  Girl  Scout,  Camp  Fire,  or  Woodcraft  training. 
That  is  what  these  lessons  in  this  book  really  are — a 
manual  for  Junior  Citizens. 

The  little  pictures  that  you  find  with  each  group  of 
lessons  are  like  the  symbols  in  the  other  manuals.  Each 
one  of  them  stands  for  a  special  thing  in  citizen  training. 
This  one  of  the  boy  and  girl  looking  out  of  a  window  is  to 
represent  all  the  Junior  Citizens  wanting  to  see  what 
citizenship  means.  It  goes  with  the  lessons  of  this  group 
"Diamonds  and  Citizens"  and  "Choosing,"  which  will 
tell  you  more  about  what  being  a  Junior  Citizen  means. 
Here  are  three  words  for  you  to  think  about  as  you 
study  these  lessons  in  this  group.   You  know  the  words 

9 


CITIZENS' 


to  .  ,   CITIZEN,  JR. 

already,  of  course,  but  perhaps  you  can  find  something 
new  in  them  as  you  study:  ''Thy  Kingdom  ComeJ^ 

LESSON  1 
DIAMONDS  AND  CITIZENS 

Have  you  ever  looked  closely  at  a  diamond?  Is  it 
smooth  and  round  like  a  pearl?  Do  you  know  whether 
all  diamonds  are  the  same  shape,  and  why?  When  they 
are  found  in  the  diamond  fields  do  they  look  the  way  they 
do  when  they  are  set  in  a  ring  or  in  a  pin? 

Even  though  you  can  answer  most  of  these  questions, 
it  will  help  you  with  this  lesson  if  you  can  examine  a 
diamond  carefully  to  see  its  shape  and  watch  the  colors. 
Perhaps  your  mother,  or  your  big  sister,  or  your  teacher, 
or  somebody  else  that  you  know,  will  let  you  examine 
one.  It  will  be  interesting  and  a  help,  besides,  if  you  will 
go  and  look  up  about  diamonds  in  the  encyclopedia,  or 
in  your  "Book  of  World  Knowledge." 

Perhaps  you  know  of  a  jewelry  store  where  you  can 
stop  and  look  at  the  diamonds  in  the  window.  Or  maybe 
your  teacher  or  someone  you  know  will  take  your  class 
to  the  store  and  ask  the  jeweler  to  explain  about  diamonds 
and  show  them  to  you.  Perhaps  you  might  even  get  him 
to  come  to  your  meeting  or  send  somebody  from  his  store 
to  tell  you  about  diamonds.  As  soon  as  you  have  a  good 
idea  of  a  diamond  and  of  what  it  looks  like  when  it  is 
found,  you  will  be  ready  to  hunt  for  the  answer  to  the 
conundrum,  "Why  is  a  diamond  like  a  Junior  Citizen?" 

Here  are  some  clues  to  help  you  to  find  the  answer: 

I.  The  jeweler  does  something  to  the  diamond  before 
it  is  ready  to  be  sold.  Must  anything  like  it  take  place 
with  boys  and  girls  if  they  are  to  become  the  finest  kind 
of  grown-up  citizens?   How  is  this  thing  done? 


YOU,  A  JUNIOR  CITIZEN  ii 

2.  Why  has  a  diamond  several  facets?  Would  the 
colors  be  the  same  if  it  were  curved  like  an  opal?  Be- 
giiming  at  home,  in  how  many  places  and  ways  can  boys 
and  girls  show  their  citizenship? 

Now  that  you  are  beginning  to  see  how  Junior  Citizens 
are  like  diamonds,  perhaps  it  will  be  well  to  talk  things 
over  some  more.  If  the  sort  of  living  you  do  is  of  good 
quality,  then  what  people  see  in  you  is  as  fine  as  the 
beautiful  colors  of  the  diamond.  Just  as  far  as  this 
quality  of  yours  in  life  and  action  is  good  you  will  be 
worth  something;  you  will  have  high  value  like  the  more 
perfect  and  valuable  diamonds.  Think  out  and  discuss  in 
class  how  this  is  true.  What  are  you  worth  in  your  home, 
at  school,  to  the  Sunday  school,  to  the  church,  to  your 
community  or  town,  to  our  country  and  to  the  world? 

Say  to  yourself:  "I  must  be "  and  "I  will  do 

,"   naming   things   that   you  feel   will   make  a 

genuinely  valuable  citizen  in  these  different  ways. 

Though  a  diamond  has  many  facets,  it  is  a  single  stone. 
You  can  be  a  Junior  Citizen  in  several  ways  and  yet  there 
is  one  kind  of  citizenship  that  includes  them  all.  It  is  not 
easy  to  find  an  everyday  name  for  it,  but  you  can  dis- 
cover more  about  it  if  you  will  study  these  references 
from  the  Bible: 

Thine,  O  Jehovah,  is  the  greatness,  and  the  power, 
and  the  glory,  and  the  victory,  and  the  majesty:  for 
all  that  is  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earth  is  thine; 
thine  is  the  kingdom,  O  Jehovah,  and  thou  art  ex- 
alted as  head  above  all* — i  Chronicles  29:  ii. 

Thy  throne,  O  God,  is  for  ever  and  ever; 

A  scepter  of  equity  is  the  scepter  of  thy  kingdom. 

Psalm  45 : 6. 

Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth,  as 
it  is  in  heaven. — ^Matthew  6:  io» 


12  CITIZEN,  JR. 

You  see  the  word  "kingdom"  in  every  one  of  these. 
Those  who  live  in  a  kingdom  are  citizens  there.  These 
verses  speak  of  God's  kingdom,  so  it  must  be  that  who- 
ever belongs  to  God  is  a  citizen  of  his  kingdom.  So  how 
would  it  do  if  we  called  the  big  kind  of  citizenship  that 
takes  in  every  kind  the  "Citizenship  of  the  Good"?  Don't 
you  think  that  the  word  "good"  describes  the  quality  of 
citizenship  that  you  want  to  show  at  home,  in  school,  and 
elsewhere? 

Next,  suppose  you  look  at  something  Jesus  said  about 
God's  kingdom.  It  is  in  verses  20  and  21  of  the  seven- 
teenth chapter  of  Luke.  This  is  what  it  says:  "The 
kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation:  neither 
shall  they  say,  Lo,  here!  or,  There!  for  lo,  the  kingdom 
of  God  is  within  you."  The  marginal  reference  says 
"In  the  midst  of  you." 

"Within"  and  "in  the  midst  of  you" — how  can  this  be 
true  of  God's  kingdom?  If  it  is  "within"  you,  it  must  be 
the  way  you  think  and  feel  and  are;  and  if  it  is  "in  the 
midst  of  you"  it  is  in  the  spirit  of  the  actions  that  you  and 
other  citizens  show  toward  each  other.  Perhaps  this  will 
help  you  to  think  it  out:  One  reason  that  you  know  that 
you  are  an  American  citizen  is  the  way  you  feel  about  our 
country.  You  like  its  customs  and  what  it  stands  for. 
People  from  other  nations  coming  here,  many  of  them, 
decide  to  become  Americans  because  of  the  way  they  feel 
about  our  country.  They  like  it  too.  And  so  people  who 
belong  to  the  Citizenship  of  the  Good  are  those  who 
care  about  being  good.  They  want  godlike  lives  such  as 
Jesus  lived. 

When  you  were  a  child  you  learned  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
but  maybe  you  never  have  happened  to  think  that  every 
time  we  pray,  "Thy  kingdom  come,"  we  are  really  asking 
that  we  and  everyone  else  shall  have  the  godlike  lives 


YOU,  A  JUNIOR  CITIZEN  13 

that  should  be  lived  by  people  who  belong  to  the  Citizen- 
ship of  the  Good,  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Jesus  tells  us  about  this  kingdom  conduct  in  Luke  6: 

27-33: 

But  I  say  unto  you  that  hear,  Love  your  enemies, 

do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  bless  them  that  curse 
you,  pray  for  them  that  despitefully  use  you.  To  him 
that  smiteth  thee  on  the  one  cheek  offer  also  the 
other;  and  from  him  that  taketh  away  thy  cloak  with- 
hold not  thy  coat  also.  Give  to  every  one  that  asketh 
thee;  and  of  him  that  taketh  away  thy  goods  ask 
them  not  again.  And  as  ye  would  that  men  should 
do  to  you,  do  ye  also  to  them  likewise.  And  if  ye 
love  them  that  love  you,  what  thank  have  ye?  for  even 
sinners  love  those  that  love  them.  And  if  ye  do  good 
to  them  that  do  good  to  you,  what  thank  have  ye? 
for  even  sinners  do  the  same. 

And  in  verse  35: 

But  love  your  enemies,  and  do  them  good. 

Think  out  and  be  ready  to  discuss  in  class  how  you  as 
a  Junior  Citizen  of  God's  kingdom  can  prove  it  by  con- 
duct of  this  sort  at  home,  in  school,  in  church,  and  in 
other  places. 

As  you  think  these  things  over  decide  whether  you  will 
be  willing  after  this  to  hurry  over  the  words  of  the  prayer 
"Thy  kingdom  come." 

Special  Work 

Look  up  Matthew  5 : 3-1 1  and  see  what  additional  help 
you  can  find  for  deciding  about  real  citizenship  conduct. 

If  you  have  already  memorized  the  Beatitudes,  the 
verses  from  Matthew,  you  might  take  for  your  memory 
work  on  this  lesson  the  verses  from  Luke  that  are  printed 
out  in  the  lesson  text. 

Write  in  your  notebook  some  ways  that  you  decide  to 
try  to  improve  your  citizenship. 


14  CITIZEN,  JR. 

LESSON  2 
CHOOSING 

When  you  have  some  money  to  spend  and  want  to  buy 
an  apple  or  an  orange,  you  know  how  to  choose.  You  try 
to  find  the  very  best  one  you  can,  the  largest  and  the 
nicest.  You  want  one  as  perfect  as  possible.  If  an  apple 
has  a  bad  spot  or  an  orange  has  a  spoiled  place  in  it,  you 
do  not  choose  it.  You  do  not  want  it.  Though  the  other 
part  is  good,  the  fruit  is  not  good  enough  in  quality  to 
suit  you.  You  know  how  to  choose. 

If  mother  sends  you  to  the  store  to  buy  a  box  of  straw- 
berries, or  a  head  of  lettuce,  or  some  tomatoes,  you  try  to 
pick  out  the  best  basket  of  berries,  the  nicest  lettuce,  or 
the  most  perfect  tomatoes.  You  want  the  very  best 
when  you  choose — something  as  fine  as  you  can  get. 

And  when  you  go  to  buy  a  new  dress  or  a  suit  you  would 
not  think  it  fair  if  the  storekeeper  charged  the  same 
price  for  one  with  a  torn  place  in  it,  or  one  with  some  of 
the  buttons  off,  as  he  would  for  one  that  was  all  right. 
You  would  be  very  quick  to  choose  another  one  that  was 
perfect.  You  would  want  the  very  best  for  your  money. 
Nothing  but  the  best  would  be  good  enough. 

Although  you  are  sure  that  you  know  about  choosing 
in  these  ways,  are  you  certain  that  you  do  the  same  sort 
of  choosing  in  other  things?  Many  boys  and  girls  do  not. 
They  work  at  a  lesson  or  at  a  job  very  carelessly,  and 
then  say  that  what  they  have  done  is  ^'good  enough,'' 
and  want  to  let  it  go  at  that.  ''Good-enough"  boys  and 
girls,  the  principal  of  one  school  used  to  call  them.  Do 
you  know  any  of  them?  Do  you  ever  do  such  things 
yourself  at  school  or  at  home?  What  sort  of  choosing  is 
that?  Do  you  think  other  people  want  your  low-grade 
goods?  And  how  do  you  act  when  they  show  they  dis- 


YOU,  A  JUNIOR  CITIZEN  15 

approve?  What  do  you  suppose  is  wrong  with  your 
citizenship  when  you  do  these  things? 

A  baby  wants  to  please  itself.  It  wants  to  have  what- 
ever it  wants,  whenever  it  wants  it,  and  doesn't  think 
about  other  people  or  what  is  best,  or  any  time  but  right 
now.  It  hasn't  learned  to  live  in  any  bigger  way.  Do 
you  see  how  a  "good-enough"  boy  or  girl  is  still  somewhat 
in  the  baby  stage?  A  grown  person  who  has  truly  grown 
up  knows  what  he  wants  and  tries  to  have  it,  but  he 
always  has  to  count  in  something  else — the  way  things 
ought  to  be;  and  if  what  he  wants  is  different  from  what 
ought  to  be,  the  best  citizen  chooses  "what  ought  to  be." 

Junior  Citizens  are  at  the  between  stage.  They  really 
want  to  be  good.  They  know  and  feel  what  ought  to  be. 
And  yet  they  are  often  pulled  more  toward  what  they 
want  to  do  than  what  they  know  they  should  do.  But 
they  have  come  to  the  practice  time  for  growing  up. 

Some  grown  people  seem  never  to  have  grown  up  in 
this  way  at  all.  You  do  not  want  to  be  one  of  them. 
Unless  you  Juniors  make  better  citizens  than  many 
people  are  now,  how  can  the  world  improve?  It  is  up 
to  you. 

This  learning  to  choose  is  a  very  big  thing.  Just  stop 
a  minute  and  think  things  over.  Think  what  difference 
it  would  make  if  everybody  always  chose  the  best  way  of 
living.  Next,  just  for  fun,  remember  one  of  the  days 
when  you  did  not  choose  right.  Think  back  and  see  what 
happened.  If  you  had  chosen  differently,  how  would  it 
have  changed  your  day?  Do  you  wish  now  that  you  had 
chosen  better?  Why? 

Perhaps  you  will  agree  with  the  man  who  says  that 
being  good  is  doing  what  we  would  wish  we  had  done, 
after  the  action  gets  "ripe."  Baby  living,  doing  just  what 
we  please,  because  we  want  to  do  it,  feel  like  it,  or  don't 


i6  CITIZEN,  JR. 

want  to  do  something  else  that  we  should  do — couldn't 
we  call  that  a  sort  of  "green"  living?  It  never  really 
tastes  very  good  except  for  the  time,  and  it  makes  a  lot 
of  trouble  all  around. 

How  do  savages  act  when  somebody  displeases  them? 
When  you  think  of  the  ugly  feelings  you  had  that  time 
when  somebody  showed  you  how  "green"  your  way  of 
living  was,  do  you  think  the  man  was  right  who  said  that 
being  good  is  acting  like  civilized  people  instead  of  like 
savages?  Which  would  you  really  rather  be?  If  you  can 
get  the  habit  of  choosing  every  time  to  do  what  you'd 
wish  you  had  done  when  the  thing  was  ripe,  do  you  see 
that  you  will  have  learned  a  lot  about  citizenship  and 
will  graduate  from  the  baby  class?  Then  you  can  say 
what  Paul  did  in  i  Corinthians  13:  n:  '^When  I  was 
a  child,  I  spake  as  a  child,  I  felt  as  a  child,  I  thought  as 
a  child:  now  that  I  am  become  a  man,  I  have  put  away 
childish  things." 

On  Decision  Day,  or  at  some  other  time,  you  probably, 
decided  that  you  would  choose  to  live  as  God  wants  you 
to.  You  made  the  big  choice  that  you  would  try  to  live 
as  a  Christian  should.  But  as  you  go  on  Uving  you  find 
it  hard.  Things  do  not  seem  settled  entirely  by  that  one 
big  decision.  This  is  not  surprising,  for  they  cannot  be 
unless  you  keep  repeating  and  practicing  it  day  after  day 
in  your  many  little  decisions  for  your  problems  of 
conduct. 

In  a  way  you  can  have  a  decision  day  at  any  minute. 
That  is  what  will  help.  Then  you  will  build  a  habit  of 
right  choosing.  When  the  times  of  deciding  come — those 
little  minutes  when  you  choose  which  way  you  will  let 
yourself  act — stop  and  ask  yourself,  "Do  I  want  'baby' 
living,  'green'  living,  'savage'  living,  or  the  kind  that  is 
grown  up  and  ripe  and  civilized?"   If  you  are  really  fair 


YOU,  A  JUNIOR  CITIZEN  17 

about  it,  you  will  find  yourself  deciding,  ''Of  course  I 
would  rather  have  God's  life  show  in  me  as  it  did  in 
Jesus  than  to  do  this  thing  that  seemed  easier  and 
that  I  thought  I  wanted  to  do/'  You  will  find  out 
that  you  want  only  what  is  best.  If  you  find  it  hard 
to  be  fair  and  to  think  straight,  open  your  heart  to 
God  as  you  pray,  "Thy  kingdom  come  in  me  just  now." 
Then  the  choice  will  be  easier.  The  oftener  you 
practice  this  the  easier  it  will  be.  If  you  keep  up 
the  practice,  it  will  become  as  natural  as  it  is  for 
you  to  breathe. 

Suppose  you  try  it  for  a  week.  Do  the  very  best  you 
can,  all  day  long,  to  choose  what  you  know  you  would 
wish  afterward  that  you  had  done.  Perhaps  it  will  help 
you  here  in  this  work  if  you  count  up  at  the  end  of  the 
day  and  see  what  choices  you  have  made.  Keep  a  record 
of  how  many  there  are.  If  sometimes  you  make  the 
wrong  choice  because  you  do  not  look  at  things  fairly,  or 
because  you  don't  feel  like  it,  do  not  be  discouraged. 
Don't  say  that  it  is  no  use  to  try,  or  that  it  is  too  much 
work.  Making  a  person  is  not  easy.  Don't  act  like  a 
baby  learning  to  walk,  who  has  tumbled  down  and  lies 
there  squalling.  Pick  yourself  up  again,  pray,  know 
that  God  forgives  you,  forgive  yourself,  and  go  on. 
That  is  how  we  all  learn;  that  is  how  we  build  up 
our  spiritual  habits,  habits  that  let  us  walk  with 
God. 

Never  mind  if  you  do  not  understand  all  about  choos- 
ing yet.  There  will  be  more  about  it  in  later  lessons  to 
help  you.  Practice  in  it  will  go  on  as  long  as  you  live. 
Grown-ups  are  not  perfect  in  their  choosing.  We  all  are 
growing,  together,  toward  what  Paul  calls  "the  measure 
of  the  stature  of  the  fullness  of  Christ." 


i8  CITIZEN,  JR. 

THINKING   IT   OVER 

When  you  were  little  you  probably  learned  the  Com- 
mandments. Suppose  you  think  of  them  now,  one  by  one, 
and  see  how  they  are  helps  to  guide  citizens.  Look  and 
see  what  Jesus  said  about  them  in  Matthew  22:35-40. 
Does  this  help  you  to  see  that  being  a  good  citizen  of 
God*s  kingdom  means  putting  God  first  in  everything  and 
doing  the  sort  of  choosing  that  will  turn  out  to  be  **best 
for  everybody"?  Go  over  the  Commandments  again  and 
think  it  out.  See  how  the  first  ones  tell  the  citizenship 
relations  between  ourselves  and  God.  Then  see  how  the 
things  forbidden  in  the  others  are  of  a  kind  that  would  be 
* 'green"  living.  See  whether  when  such  choosing  "gets 
ripe"  in  action  it  proves  to  be  best  for  everybody.  Think 
how  such  choosing  would  spoil  good  citizenship. 

Turn  to  your  record  of  choices  for  the  days  you  recorded 
them.  Are  there  enough  good  ones  to  show  that  you  are 
making  progress? 

How  many  times  has  it  helped  you  to  pray  the  words 
**Thy  kingdom  come"? 


GROUP  II 


Lessons  3  and  4 

VOYAGES  OF  DISCOVERY 

Do  you  love  to  read  about 
the  adventures  of  the  discoverers 
and  explorers,  the  work  of  in- 
ventors, and  the  Ufe  of  pioneer 
people?  Does  it  make  you  long 
to  go  on  voyages  of  discovery 
yourself?  Do  you  wish  that  you 
might  have  adventures  that 
would  be  as  thrilling  as  theirs? 
You  may  do  so,  in  a  way,  and 
yet  stay  at  home  and  go  to 
school  and  do  all  the  other  cus- 
tomary things.  In  the  next  two 
lessons,  "Following  the  Star"  and  "Pirates  and  Police- 
men,'' you  may  learn  something  about  these  adventures 
and  discoveries. 

Of  course  the  symbol  for  this  group  must  be  a  star 
because  of  the  north  star  and  the  mariners'  compass  that 
are  the  explorer's  friends  and  guides.  Perhaps  you  will 
want  a  slogan  for  your  expeditions.  Many  an  under- 
taking has  been  carried  to  success  that  way.  "Don't 
give  up  the  ship"  and  "Make  the  world  safe  for 
democracy"  are  two  famous  slogans.  Here  is  one  that 
you  can  have  for  yours  as  you  study  now:  "Be  your 
best  boss." 

19 


STAR  LED" 


20  CITIZEN,  JR. 

LESSON  3 

FOLLOWING  THE  STAR 

You  remember  the  story  of  the  three  Wise  Men.  It  is 
in  Matthew  2:  i-ii.  Here  is  part  of  it: 

Now  when  Jesus  was  bom  in  Bethlehem  of  Judaea 
in  the  days  of  Herod  the  king,  behold,  Wise-men 
from  the  east  came  to  Jerusalem,  saying.  Where  is 
he  that  is  bom  King  of  the  Jews?  for  we  saw  his  star 
in  the  east,  and  are  come  to  worship  him.  .  .  .  And 
they,  having  heard  the  king,  went  their  way;  and  lo, 
the  star,  which  they  saw  in  the  east,  went  before 
them,  till  it  came  and  stood  over  where  the  young 
child  was.  And  when  they  saw  the  star,  they  rejoiced 
with  exceeding  great  joy. 

Had  you  ever  thought  that  they  were  on  a  magnificent 
adventure,  exploring  the  world  for  miles  and  miles  in 
search  of  the  Christ-child?  People  then,  many  of  them, 
were  expecting  his  coming,  but  most  of  them  were  not 
thinking  about  it  as  much  as  the  Wise  Men  were.  From 
a  far  country  these  men  journeyed,  following  the  star. 
Nobody  told  them  to  go.  They  found  out  about  it  them- 
selves, and  went.  As  the  star  led  them  they  followed, 
followed,  until  they  had  found  the  Christ. 

Like  them  you  can  explore,  but  in  a  different  way. 
Probably  you  have  begun  already,  but  have  not  realized 
what  it  meant.  Do  you  want  to  try  to  do  different  things 
just  to  see  if  you  can,  and  to  learn  how  they  are  done? 
If  you  do,  you  are  wanting  to  explore.  Do  you  want  to 
find  out  about  lots  of  things — what  they  are  made  of  and 
how  to  use  them?  If  so,  doing  that  is  another  way  of 
exploring.  Do  you  hate  to  be  bossed — to  be  told  what 
to  do  by  somebody  else?  Have  you  begun  to  feel  that 
you  can  do  big  things  some  day?  Those  feelings,  again, 


VOYAGES  OF  DISCOVERY  21 

are  signs  that  you  are  longing  to  explore  what  it  means  to 
live  as  a  citizen,  as  one  who  is  no  longer  a  child  but  a  self- 
reliant  person.  These  things  do  not  mean  that  you  are 
ready  yet  to  be  an  independent  individual,  but  they  do 
mean  that  you  are  ready  to  get  ready  to  be  one.  Of  course 
you  see  that  there  is  a  difference,  but  perhaps  it  might  be 
well  to  think  it  out  and  discuss  it  in  class.  If  you  will  go 
back  to  Lesson  2,  where  we  talked  about  choosing,  you 
may  find  some  clues. 

All  of  these  desires  of  yours  for  voyages  of  discovery  are 
the  beginnings  of  what  grown  people  call  by  the  long 
words  "initiative"  and  "self-reliance."  If  you  will  look 
up  the  meanings  of  these  words  in  the  dictionary,  espe- 
cially in  one  which  tells  what  the  different  pieces  of  the 
words  meant  when  they  were  first  used,  you  will  find 
something  interesting. 

Perhaps  you  will  like  to  check  yourself  up  and  find  out 
how  much  initiative  and  self-reliance  you  have  already 
gained,  what  voyages  of  discovery  you  have  already 
made.  Here  is  a  plan  for  testing  yourself  and  your  power. 
You  will  be  able  to  think  of  other  plans  yourself,  and  in 
that  way  too  you  will  be  developing  still  more  initiative. 

Ask  yourself: 

How  many  tools  do  I  know  how  to  use  correctly  and 

weU? 
How  many  machines  can  I  run  and  keep  in  order? 
Do  I  know  how  to  fit  window  shades  when  they  pull 

off  the  roller,  and  can  I  stop  a  dripping  water  faucet? 
Can  I  "make  a  bed"  scientifically? 
Can  I  make  good  bread — all  by  myself?   Manage  the 

oven,  too?  Do  I  know  why  faults  come? 
When  I  pass  a  show  window,  how  many  things  can  I 

name  that  I  have  seen  in  one  good  look? 


22  CITIZEN,  JR. 

What  can  I  do  to  help  entertain  guests? 

What  ''kind  turns''  can  I  do? 

Can  I  keep  sweet  tempered  and  courteous  when  things 

go  wrong? 
How  many  psalms  and  other  Scripture  verses  have  I 

memorized? 

These  are  only  a  few  test  questions.  We  could  easily 
make  the  list  very  much  longer.  You  now  see  what  a 
variety  of  voyages  of  discovery  are  waiting  for  you.  Let 
the  boys  try  things  that  girls  usually  do.  There  is  no 
telling  when  you  may  need  such  knowledge  either  for 
yourself  or  to  help  out  as  a  good  citizen  does  in  a  dif- 
ficulty. 

Now  you  are  ready  to  think  a  little  more  about  the 
thing  that  will  guide  you  in  your  voyages  of  discovery 
just  as  the  star  guided  the  Wise  Men.  It  depends  on  the 
way  you  choose  to  use  your  initiative  and  self-reliance 
whether  you  make  of  yourself  a  good  citizen  or  a  poor 
one.  If  you  use  them  just  to  prove  how  smart  you  are 
and  to  get  your  own  way,  or  to  have  people  praise  you, 
are  you  star-led?  For  example:  When  you  play  basket 
ball,  do  you  care  more  about  making  showy  plays  or 
about  helping  your  team  to  win? 

Would  you  like  to  learn  how  to  practice  for  the  better 
way,  the  way  that  shines  like  a  star? 

Ever  since  you  were  little  you  have  known  that  God 
made  you  and  that  your  life  comes  from  him.  Perhaps 
you  know  what  Paul  said  in  two  different  places.  Look 
them  up,  anyway,  in  Acts  17:  24  and  28. 

Notice  especially  these  lines — 

he  himself  giveth  to  all  life^  and  breath,  and  all 
thingSi 
and 

for  in  him  we  live  and  move  and  have  our  being. 


VOYAGES  OF  DISCOVERY  27^ 

Every  bit  of  initiative  and  self-reliance  you  have  must 
be  a  part  of  God's  life  power  shining  out  from  you,  if  your 
being  is  in  him,  must  it  not?  Whether  you  are  a  good 
citizen  or  a  poor  one  depends  on  the  way  you  choose  to 
use  this  precious  and  holy  thing. 

Jesus  said  that  he  came  in  order  that  we  might  have 
life,  and  have  it  abundantly.  He  showed  us  how  to  use 
God's  life,  which  we  had  scarcely  dared  to  think  we  might 
do.  Your  voyages  of  discovery  are  adventures  that  you 
long  to  make  in  the  Land  of  Abundant  Living.  What  you 
need  is  to  learn  how  to  use  more  and  more  of  the  life  and 
power  of  God  as  you  follow  them.   This  is  your  star. 

In  Lesson  2  you  began  to  understand  how  a  citizen 
chooses;  and  now,  since  you  know  that  the  power  with 
which  you  live  is  God's  life  in  you,  you  will  want  to  be 
especially  careful  to  watch  whether  the  voyages  of  dis- 
covery that  you  undertake  are  things  that  you  will  be 
glad  to  have  God's  life  u^ed  for. 

Think  of  one  of  the  adventures  in  abundant  living  that 
you  would  like  to  undertake.  Let  us  suppose  it  is  learn- 
ing to  play  a  musical  instrument.  As  you  study  and 
practice  and  think  about  your  work  remember  that  your 
power  to  do  it  comes  from  God.  Know  that  as  you  use 
it,  more  and  more  of  this  power  will  come,  so  that  you 
will  make  a  greater  progress  than  you  could  if  you  did 
not  think  of  him  and  ask  his  help. 

And  so  you  will  find  it  true  in  things  of  other  kinds. 
Maybe  it  is  wanting  to  be  independent  that  is  your 
adventure.  You  can  find  your  way  in  this  region  that  you 
have  never  explored  by  following  your  star  and  remem- 
bering what  you  do  will  use  God-given  power  and  must 
be  worthy  of  it. 

As  you  go  on,  learning  to  do  things  well,  you  will  want 
to  find  ways  to  use  in  citizen  fashion  what  you  have 


24  CITIZEN,  JR. 

learned,  and  to  share  it  with  other  people.  If  you  are 
learning  to  play,  it  will  make  it  more  fun  to  practice  if 
you  do  it  partly  for  the  sake  of  being  able  to  give  pleasure 
to  the  family  and  to  guests  by  playing  nicely  for  them. 
Think  of  some  of  your  own  desires  and  try  to  find  ways 
of  citizen-sharing  for  them.  Ask  God  to  show  you  how. 
As  you  pray  and  plan  you  will  cultivate  more  initiative 
and  self-reliance  and  you  will  find  new  adventures  and 
discoveries.  You  will  learn  more  about  being  your  own 
best  boss.  And  by  learning  to  live  this  way — in  the 
strength  of  God — in  many  kinds  of  undertakings  you  can 
have  lots  of  fun  in  achieving  them. 

Try  to  think  how  this  can  be  true  in  such  adventures 
as  the  following:  learning  lessons  for  school,  the  use  of 
tools,  driving  a  horse,  telling  funny  stories,  remembering 
jokes  to  tell,  making  folks  happy  by  special  things  you 
do,  being  good-natured,  working  out  puzzling  thoughts 
in  what  you  have  read,  earning  money  for  something  you 
want  for  yourself,  for  a  surprise,  to  do  something  for 
somebody  less  fortunate,  or  to  give  to  missions.  Some 
things  will  take  longer  than  others  because  there  is  more 
to  learn  about  them.  But  you  will  find  it  easier  and 
easier  to  work  if  you  will  do  it  in  this  way.  And  so  the 
star  will  go  on  guiding  you  all  your  life  long  in  new 
explorations. 

Test  Work 

How  many  points  for  initiative  and  self-reliance  have  you 

scored  this  week  ? 
Write  out  on  paper  in  your  own  words  the  things  you  need 

to  remember  in  practicing  the  habit  of  following  your 

star.   You  can  put  it  in  your  notebook  if  you  choose. 
Look  back  over  the  week  and  see  whether  you  have  been 

combining  what  you  learned  about  **choosing"  with 

your  initiative. 


VOYAGES  OF  DISCOVERY  25 

Choose  some  new  thing  in  which  you  can  try  for  self- 
reliance,  something  that  you  never  have  tried  before. 
Then  watch  yourself  and  see  whether  you  put  it  through 
successfully.   This  will  help  your  initiative  as  well. 

Look  up  Revelation  22 :  16  and  see  if  it  helps  you  any  to 
discover  the  star  of  your  best  self.  This  may  take  some 
thinking,  but  you  have  initiative  and  self-reliance 
enough  to  do  it. 

Memorize  the  last  sentence  of  the  verse  from  Revelation. 

LESSON  4 
PIRATES  AND  POLICEMEN 

Why  do  you  suppose  that  almost  every  Junior  Citizen 
enjoys  pirates  and  is  interested  in  policemen?  Are  they 
anything  alike?  Do  you  think  either  of  them  shows 
initiative  or  self-reliance?  Can  we  let  them  stand  for  two 
kinds  of  citizenship — the  one  that  results  from  baby 
living  and  the  other  that  makes  a  Junior  or  Senior 
Citizen  who  lives  according  to  the  rules  of  good  citizen- 
ship? 

Let  us  think  about  pirates  first.  A  pirate  is  a  man  who 
tries  to  do  just  as  he  pleases.  He  does  not  want  to  obey 
law  but  defies  it.  He  wants  to  be  his  own  boss.  He  does 
not  consider  other  people's  rights.  He  wants  everything 
he  can  get,  for  himself — rather  a  good-sized  baby,  don't 
you  think?  And  a  very  bad  waster  of  the  life  power  which 
he  has  from  God?   Now,  these  things  we  do  not  like. 

And  yet,  somehow,  we  enjoy  him.  We  like  him  because 
he  has  courage,  because  he  dares  to  do  hard  things,  be- 
cause he  has  initiative,  because  he  is  self-reliant,  because 
he  wants  to  be  free.  Every  one  of  us  has  longings  of  this 
kind.  Often  these  feelings  are  very  strong,  especially  in 
Junior  Citizens,  who  are  at  a  time  when  they  want  to 
know  and  feel  and  show  that  they  are  real  persons.  They 


26  CITIZEN,  JR. 

want  to  prove  that  they  have  courage  to  dare.  They 
want  to  feel  that  they  have  initiative,  that  they  do  not 
need  to  be  bossed,  nor  even  told  what  to  do. 

In  a  way  they  are  right,  though  they  do  not  always  see 
how  to  work  it  out.  Life  power,  a  holy  thing  as  we  know, 
is  welling  up  within  them,  urging  them  to  be  and  to  be- 
come and  to  achieve.  They  have  reached  the  practice 
time  that  prepares  for  independent  Kving  as  citizens.  As 
a  rule,  they  know  fairly  well  what  they  ought  to  do.  They 
do  not  need  to  be  told  by  anybody.  But  though  they 
want  to  boss  themselves  they  have  a  hard  time  because 
they  think  they  would  rather  be  free  to  do  whatever  they 
choose  instead  of  what  they  should — that  which  brings 
the  greatest  good  to  the  greatest  number.  They  would 
like  to  live  as  pirates  in  the  Kingdom  of  Myself  instead  of 
enjoying  citizenship  in  the  Land  of  Abundant  Living  for 
Everybody.  They  haven't  learned  yet  to  be  their  own 
best  boss. 

Now  let's  think  about  poUcemen.  They  are  men  who 
try  to  help  folks  to  do  as  they  ought,  to  make  the  right 
choices.  They  must  have  courage  and  strength.  They 
must  be  self-reliant,  and  they  often  need  initiative.  A 
policeman  has  the  power  of  the  law  behind  him.  Junior 
Citizens  like  to  watch  one  because  he  embodies  so  many 
things  that  they  want  for  themselves.  They  admire  his 
strength  and  his  power,  and  wish  they  were  like  him. 
They  think  it  would  be  wonderful  to  be  able  to  command 
and  to  be  obeyed  as  he  is.  They  would  hke  to  feel  that 
some  power  was  back  of  them,  strong  enough  to  make 
them  feel  invincible.  And  so  they  imagine  themselves  in 
his  place  just  as  they  do  with  the  pirate,  and  it  gives 
them  a  thrill  of  freedom  and  power.  They  enjoy  seeing 
that  he  is  boss,  just  as  they  would  like  to  be. 

Besides,  in  a  way,  a  policeman  stands  for  obedience  to 


VOYAGES  OF  DISCOVERY  27 

law  and  respect  for  authority — doing  what  ought  to  be 
done.  The  traffic  officer  is  one  where  this  shows  very 
plainly.  He  works  the  "Go-Stop*'  signals  or  blows  his 
whistle  and  indicates  which  way  is  open  and  which  one 
closed  to  vehicles  at  that  moment.  When  he  tells  a  driver 
to  stop,  the  man  has  to  do  it  whether  he  wants  to  or  not. 
Because  the  officer  represents  the  law  everybody  must 
respect  his  authority.  He  is  really  there  to  help.  People 
must  obey.  They  cannot  drive  just  where  they  please 
and  whenever  they  choose.    All  must  play  fair. 

This  thing  of  obedience  and  respect  for  authority  is  one 
of  the  hard  problems  for  some  Junior  Citizens  to  work 
out.  Because  they  still  want  so  much  to  do  as  they  please 
it  is  hard  for  them  to  be  obedient  and  respectful.  They 
feel  that  the  time  has  come  when  they  should  begin  to 
boss  themselves.  And  this  is  true,  if  they  only  knew  how 
to  do  it  right.  If  they  had  to  wait  always  to  be  told  to 
do  things,  they  never  would  become  citizens  of  fine 
initiative  and  self-reliance.  You  can  see  what  a  great 
puzzle  they  have  to  solve. 

Perhaps  it  will  help  in  your  study  of  obedience  if  you 
turn  to  two  places  in  your  New  Testament.  The  first 
tells  about  Jesus  when  he  was  a  boy,  a  Junior  Citizen. 
Look  in  Luke  2:51,  where  he  went  home  with  his  parents 
after  being  in  the  Temple,  and  was  ^'subject,"  or  obedient 
to  them.  If  he  did  so,  why  not  you?  The  other  reference 
is  in  Matthew  21:  28-30.  It  is  one  of  the  parables  that 
Jesus  told  about  two  sons — not  the  prodigal  one,  but  the 
other  story. 

Can  you  see  these  two  young  fellows  and  what  they  do 
and  say?  Have  you  ever  felt  or  done  what  either  of  them 
did?  Let  us  think  about  them  and  see  what  citizens  can 
learn  from  them  about  obedience.  Perhaps  we  may  find 
a  surprise. 


28  CITIZEN,  JR. 

The  first  one  acted  with  a  good  deal  of  the  "baby" 
spirit  at  first.  When  he  was  told  what  to  do  he  said,  in- 
side, "I'm  not  going  to/'  "I  don't  want  to,"  and  he  told 
his  father,  "I  will  not  go."  He  wanted  to  be  his  own  boss, 
something  like  our  pirate.  But  as  he  got  to  thinking 
things  over  he  repented  and  changed  his  mind  entirely. 
He  made  a  new  choice — to  obey.  Nobody  compelled  him 
to  do  anything.  His  father  probably  knew  nothing  about 
it,  for  most  likely  he  was  somewhere  else.  This  time  the 
son  obeyed  completely,  and  was  more  the  boss  of  himself 
than  before  because  he  overcame  his  first  babyish  action 
by  choosing  to  do  as  he  had  been  asked.  He  retained  his 
initiative  and  self-reliance  and  used  them  in  obeying. 

His  brother  had  just  the  same  unwillingness  to  obey, 
but  let  his  father  think  he  was  going  to  do  it.  He  seemed 
to  have  kept  his  freedom  and  to  have  bossed  himself. 
Had  he?  Or  was  he  a  slave  to  his  desire  to  show  how 
independent  he  was  and  to  his  wish  to  do  as  he  felt  like 
doing?  Was  this  being  his  best  boss? 

Suppose  that  the  first  brother  went  to  the  vineyard 
because  he  felt  that  he  had  to,  because  he  was  afraid  of 
his  father,  or  because  his  father  had  "made"  him  go. 
Imagine  how  he  would  grumble  and  protest  inside,  and 
really  stay  away  in  spirit.  Have  you  ever  done  anything 
like  that  yourself?  Then  were  you  really  obedient  even 
though  your  body  obeyed?  And  were  you  your  own  boss, 
or  did  something  boss  you — your  wish  to  do  as  you 
pleased? 

As  you  think  about  these  two  brothers  can  you  see  that 
obedience  means  a  great  deal  more  than  just  the  act 
required  or  forbidden?  That  even  though  we  may  seem 
to  obey  we  may  not  really  be  obedient? 

Obedience  and  respect  for  authority  are  things  that 
are  within  us.  Nobody  can  compel  us  to  obey.  Folks  can 


VOYAGES  OF  DISCOVERY  29 

compel  our  bodies,  perhaps,  but  the  choice,  after  all,  re- 
mains with  us.  We  are  free  to  choose.  But  we  must 
choose  whether  we  are  going  to  indulge  in  pirate  living, 
that  seeks  its  own  wishes  only,  or  choose  to  be  our  own 
policeman,  who  decides  what  is  best  and  who  has  all  the 
power  of  the  law  behind  him. 

What  is  the  law — the  law  of  love,  of  course?  "Thy 
neighbor  as  thyself,"  you  know.  And  the  power  behind 
the  law  is  God's  life  which  is  ours  to  use.  We  learned 
something  about  these  things  in  the  lesson  on  "Following 
the  Star."  Do  you  begin  to  see  now,  how  they  work  out? 
Think  carefully,  remembering  some  time  when  you  your- 
self did  not  fully  obey,  and  some  other  time  when  you 
truly  did. 

Are  You  Learning? 

Look  back  over  the  week  that  has  been  finished  and  then 
watch  for  a  week  and  see  how  many  times  you  act  as 
your  own  policeman  and  make  yourself  obey. 

Give  an  example  of  how  being  afraid  of  somebody  stops 
only  the  act  and  not  the  want  to,  even  when  a  person 
seems  to  obey. 

What  is  wrong  with  pirate  living  that  makes  it  poor 
citizenship  ? 

Why  should  we  have  respect  for  authority? 

Suppose  nobody  ever  asked  you  to  obey  or  told  you  what 
to  do  from  now  on  ?  Are  you  boss  enough  of  yourself  to 
do  your  own  choosing  and  be  sure  that  it  would  prove 
to  be  "best  for  everybody"?  Just  what  sort  of  things 
would  you  do  if  you  were  perfectly  free  to  choose? 
Would  you  choose  play  entirely?  Grade  your  citizen 
value  honestly  for  yourself. 

Just  as  if  you  were  reading  a  story  in  a  book  or  a  magazine, 
read  the  first  six  chapters  of  Nehemiah  and  see  in  how 
many  ways  it  belongs  with  these  two  lessons. 

Has  it  helped  you  to  have  the  slogan,  '*Be  Your  Best  Boss"  ? 


GROUP  in    ^ 


Lessons  s  and  6 

A  SQUARE  DEAL 

The  symbol  for  this  group  of 
lessons  is  a  pair  of  scales,  to  in- 
dicate balancing  or  making 
things  even,  since  we  are  going 
to  study  about  "A  Square  Deal" 
for  everybody.  Perhaps  this 
may  remind  you  of  what  we 
studied  about  "Choosing."  The 
two  are  related,  yet  they  are 
different.  One  is  a  sort  of  first 
cousin  to  the  other. 

Here  is  the  first  half  of  a  scrap 
of  verse  to  go  with  the  lessons. 
It  will  be  a  good  plan  to  memorize  the  lines  so  that  you 
can  think  them  over  as  you  study.  Later  on,  too,  you  will 
want  them  so  you  can  put  them  with  the  lines  that  are 
left  blank.  Those  you  will  discover  when  you  are  ready 
for  them. 


"WEIGH  IT  FIRST' 


Thinking 

"Some  folks  are  thinking  *me  and  mine,' 
And  some  are  thinking  *thee  and  thine.' 


30 


A  SQUARE  DEAL  31 

LESSON  5 
"SEE  SAW,  MARGERY  DAW' 

Here  is  a  conundrum  for  us  to  work  out  in  this  lesson: 
How  is  a  seesaw  like  playing  fair?  If  you  ever  made  an 
old-fashioned  seesaw  by  putting  a  board  across  a  barrel 
or  over  a  wooden  "horse/'  or  if  you  have  ever  watched 
and  played  with  a  "teeter''  on  the  playground,  you  will 
remember  the  up-and-down  motion  by  which  it  worked. 
You  probably  did  not  stop  to  think  that  the  balancing  of 
the  board  made  the  fun.  You  just  knew  that  when  one 
child  went  up  the  other  went  down,  and  that  when  a 
larger  child  sat  on  one  end  the  board  had  to  be  moved 
over  and  made  longer  on  the  other  end  where  the  smaller 
child  sat.  If  you  didn't,  the  "teeter"  would  bump  and 
stick. 

In  "playing  fair"  there  is  a  balancing  between  one  side 
and  another.  Anything  which  gives  one  person  more  than 
he  should  have,  or  less  than  his  share,  spoils  the  balance, 
and  people  protest.  Citizens,  big  and  little,  count  a  great 
deal  on  "fair  play."  You  know  how  quickly  somebody 
exclaims,  "That  isn't  fair,"  if  one  child  tries  to  get  more 
than  his  share,  or  if  he  seems  to  be  given  something  nice 
that  the  rest  may  not  share.  Citizens  are  quick  to  object 
— when  it  is  somebody  else  who  is  having  the  advantage; 
but  do  you  think  they  are  half  as  inclined  to  feel  it  if  they 
themselves  are  the  ones  who  seem  to  be  benefited,  or  are 
claiming  what  they  want?  Even  if  they  do  have  a  sort  of 
prick  in  their  minds  telling  them  that  all  is  not  right, 
don't  they  usually  try  to  prove  that  they  have  a  right 
to  the  thing,  or  excuse  their  actions  as  they  would  not 
excuse  somebody  else?  And  don't  they  often  try  to  blame 
the  trouble  on  somebody  else,  even  if  they  began  it? 


32  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Isn't  it  funny,  when  you  stop  to  think  how  blind  and 
stupid  they  are! 

Think  of  the  child,  or  maybe  yourself,  who  always 
wants  to  have  his  own  way,  or  else  he  will  not  play;  and 
the  girl  who  wants  to  have  the  best  "part"  if  a  play  is 
being  planned,  and  will  not  "be  in  it"  unless  she  can  star. 
Do  you  think  these  folks  realize  that  they  are  to  blame 
when  the  others  do  not  like  what  is  done?  Do  you  think 
that  playing  fair  requires  us  to  look  at  ourselves  as  clearly 
to  see  what  we  have  done  as  if  we  were  watching  someone 
else? 

Perhaps  you  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  done.  There  is 
an  interesting  way  that  helps  when  you  learn  how  to  use 
it.  It  is  like  looking  in  a  mirror  to  see  yourself.  You 
know  that  when  you  smile  as  you  look  into  the  glass,  you 
see  a  smile,  and  when  you  frown  and  look  cross,  you  see 
a  grouchy  sort  of  person  looking  back  at  you. 

You  can  learn  to  use  other  people  as  a  sort  of  mirror  in 
which  to  see  yourself.  They  are  like  a  looking-glass 
showing  you  the  way  you  look  at  them.  So,  if  people  dis- 
approve of  you,  or  are  cross,  stop  and  look  at  yourself. 
Try  to  see  yourself  as  you  would  look  if  you  were  in  their 
place.  It  is  possible  that  they  are  the  cranky  ones,  but 
how  are  you  looking  back  at  them?  Perhaps  they  may 
be  mistaken  about  you  and  be  blaming  you  unjustly. 
You'd  like  to  think  so,  but  you'd  better  make  sure.  Take 
a  good  look.  Maybe  you  are  like  the  youngster  who  went 
running  to  mother  crying  bitterly  and  complaining  as  a 
spoiled  child  does,  "Sally  Jones  hit  me!"  And  when  the 
mother  asked  what  the  child  had  done  to  Sally,  at  first 
the  answer  was,  "Nothing";  but  further  questions 
brought  the  sobbing  admissions:  "Knocked  her  down — 
and  pulled  her  hair — and  broke  her  new  Christmas  dolly 
— and  she  hit  me!" 


A  SQUARE  DEAL  33 

Maybe  you  have  been  doing  something  like  that 
and  blaming  the  other  person.  Be  sure  to  take  a 
good  look  whenever  somebody  else  seems  cross  to 
you. 

It  is  a  man-sized  lesson  to  learn,  this  playing  fair  by 
being  willing  to  look  at  our  own  faults  and  to  admit  our 
share  of  the  blame.  Some  people  now  grown  never  learned 
to  do  it  as  children,  and  are  in  trouble  all  the  time  and 
think  that  the  world  is  abusing  them.  Perhaps  you  may 
know  somebody  like  this.  If  so,  you  do  not  think  that 
person  is  such  a  happy  citizen  that  you  are  wildly  eager 
to  be  like  him,  do  you?  Then  look  out — watch  your  step 
— by  seeing  that  you  give  a  square  deal. 

Perhaps  it  will  be  a  good  plan  now  to  think  about  a 
few  of  the  little  mean  things  that  you  may  catch  yourself 
doing — unfair  things:  cheating  in  a  game  in  order  to 
try  to  win,  saying  unkind  things  about  somebody's 
dress  or  appearance,  trying  to  play  out  of  turn,  taking 
advantage  of  somebody's  misfortune,  trying  to  slip  in 
ahead  of  your  turn  in  a  line  that  is  waiting  to  buy  tickets, 
being  cranky  when  you  are  called  to  get  up  in  the  morn- 
ing, being  unwilUng  to  be  obliging  or  to  do  errands,  mis- 
representing the  facts  about  something  that  has  hap- 
pened, telling  unkind  tales,  and  similar  acts.  Think  of 
others  from  the  way  you  act  yourself  with  the  folks  at 
home,  at  school  with  the  teacher,  on  the  playground,  on 
the  athletic  field,  at  Sunday  school  and  church,  and  in 
the  community. 

Now  write  out  a  new  list  of  what  you  should  do  instead. 

When  somebody  blames  and  criticizes  you  for  some 
supposed  meanness,  will  it  help  for  you  to  be  ugly  about 
it  even  if  the  blame  is  unjust?  What  does  citizen  conduct 
call  for?  There  are  two  Bible  references  to  help  you 
decide,  Proverbs  15:  i  and  Luke  6:  27,  28: 


34  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Here  they  are: 

A  soft  answer  tumeth  away  wrath; 
But  a  grievous  word  stirretfi  up  anger. 

and 

Love  your  enemies,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you, 
bless  them  that  curse  you,  pray  for  them  that  despite- 
fully  use  you. 

To  make  a  gentle  answer  and  to  be  loving  were  things 
that  Jesus  seemed  to  expect  citizens  to  do.  He  wanted 
them  not  to  be  overcome  of  evil,  but  to  overcome  evil 
with  good.  Think  about  the  Proverbs  reference.  Do  you 
see  the  pictures  that  you  will  find  in  the  mirror  of  other 
people's  faces?  Make  a  gentle  answer.  If  you  do,  you 
can  have  a  lot  of  fun  watching  the  change  in  the  mirror. 
Try  it  next  time  and  see. 

It  may  be  that  some  of  the  boys  will  think  that  Jesus 
did  not  mean  what  he  said  when  he  spoke  of  turning  the 
other  cheek.  There  may  be  times  when  they  feel  that 
they  must  fight  instead  of  acting  as  inoffensively  as  this. 
Of  course  you  know  that  fighting  is,  in  a  way,  going  back 
to  the  savage  level;  that  if  two  men  begin  to  fight  on  the 
street,  the  policeman  takes  them  in  hand  as  misbehaving 
citizens. 

If  you  boys  do  not  feel  that  you  can  be  your  own 
policeman  enough  to  avoid  a  fight,  then  police  yourselves 
enough  to  fight  for  a  weaker  person,  for  a  just  cause,  and 
to  fight  fair.  Don't  lose  your  tempers  and  don't  be  mean. 
Be  "good  sports"  and  obey  the  rules  as  a  boxer  has  to 
learn  to  do.  Some  day  you  will  find  that  you  neither 
need  nor  want  to  fight,  and  you  will  find  that  what  Jesus 
says  is  best. 

What  is  wrong  with  Margery  Daw's  seesaw  when  you 
are  unfair?  What  makes  the  balance  wrong?   Is  it  loving 


A  SQUARE  DEAL  35 

ourselves  more  than  our  neighbor  when  it  should  be 
even — one  just  the  same  as  the  other?  You  really  do  not 
want  to  be  unjust;  you  want  a  square  deal  for  him  as 
much  as  for  yourself.  What  do  you  think  of  these  steps 
toward  making  things  more  even  and  helping  to  balance 
the  seesaw  again? — 

1.  Admit  your  fault  to  yourself. 

2.  Admit  it  to  God  and  straighten  things  out  with 
him. 

3.  Watch  for  a  chance  to  do  a  special  kindness  to  the 
one  you  have  wronged,  and  so  try  to  make  it  up  to  him 
for  the  ugly  thing  that  was  so  unfair. 

Only  a  citizen  of  character  and  backbone  has  courage 
enough  to  do  these  things  every  time  he  has  been  unfair, 
but  they  are  worth  all  the  effort  they  cost.  You  will  find 
that  if  you  make  a  habit  of  doing  them  each  time  you 
are  at  fault,  you  will  be  slower  to  get  yourself  into  such 
trouble  again.  And  as  you  go  on  loving,  you  will  feel  less 
like  being  mean.  Remember  that  the  other  person  is 
God's  child  as  well  as  you.  Be  careful  how  you  treat  him. 
Show  your  love  of  God  by  your  love  of  others  as  Abou 
Ben  Adhem  did.  Leigh  Hunt  has  written  a  poem  about 
him  and  his  visit  from  an  Angel,  who  appeared  in  the 
moonlight  of  his  room,  writing  the  names  of  those  who 
loved  the  Lord.  He  asked  the  Angel  to  "Write  me  as 
one  that  loves  his  fellow  men,"  and  then 

**The  Angel  wrote  and  vanished.  The  next  night 
It  came  again  with  a  great  wakening  light 
And  showed  the  names  whom  love  of  God  had 

blessed, 
And  lo!  Ben  Adhem*s  name  led  all  the  rest." 

See  If  You  Know 
What  is  the  trouble  with  a  citizen  who  does  not  play  fair? 


36  CITIZEN,  JR. 

What  do  you  think  other  citizens  can  do  to  help  such  a 
person? 

Make  a  list  of  any  mean  things  you  may  have  done  this 
week.  Nobody  else  need  see  it.  Look  it  over  carefully 
and  see  exactly  what  you  have  done  to  straighten  each 
thing  up.  Do  not  let  a  single  one  of  these  accounts 
against  yourself  stand  without  deciding  what  to  do  to 
redeem  it.  Then  see  that  you  liiake  things  square  with 
the  other  person.    **Be  your  own  boss'*  in  this. 


LESSON  6 
PAYING  YOUR  WAY 

Did  you  ever  stop  and  count  up  just  how  much  you 
cost  your  father  and  mother  in  a  week,  or  a  month,  or 
a  year?  If  you  haven't,  you  will  find  it  very  interesting 
to  do  so.  Suppose  you  try  it.  What  are  the  different 
ways  in  which  they  must  spend  money  in  order  to  let 
you  live  as  you  do:  for  clothes  and  food,  of  course,  and  the 
expense  of  keeping  up  the  house — your  share  of  the  rent 
or  taxes,  and  the  light  and  the  heat  and  the  'phone,  if  you 
have  one,  etc.?  Count  up  all  the  money  they  give  you 
to  spend  for  different  things  that  you  want,  if  you  have 
no  regular  allowance.  Get  them  to  help  you  in  working 
out  the  account.  You  can  set  down  the  different  items 
and  add  them  up  to  see  how  much  they  make  in  all. 

Besides  these  items  there  may  be  doctors'  bills  and 
dentist  bills,  and  also  a  great  many  things  that  cost  some- 
body's time  instead  of  money,  such  as  darning  and  mend- 
ing and  all  sorts  of  personal  services  that  you  probably 
are  accustomed  to  take  for  granted  just  because  you  are 
used  to  having  them  done  and  so  have  never  thought  of 
them  as  worth  money. 

And  probably  it  has  never  occurred  to  you  to  ask 


A  SQUARE  DEAL  37 

yourself  how  you  are  paying  your  way  in  return  for  all 
that  is  being  spent  on  you.  You  want  to  play  fair.  How 
about  it  in  this?  Perhaps  you  are  looking  forward  to  the 
time  when  you  can  earn  money  yourself.  Maybe  you 
think  that  the  boy  or  girl  who  has  a  job  is  a  sort  of  hero, 
because  he  can  bring  in  money  and  help  to  support  the 
family  in  a  way  that  you  cannot  yet  do.  Find  out  whether 
that  other  boy  or  girl  is  losing  chances  to  get  ready  to 
earn  far  more  later  on  than  will  be  possible  now  because 
of  leaving  school  and  having  no  further  training.  And 
see  whether,  after  all,  the  biggest  way  of  taking  a  share 
at  home  is  always  by  earning  money.  Can  you  help  to 
cut  down  family  expenses  by  demanding  less  for 
yourself  or  by  doing  something  that  has  to  be  paid 
for  now? 

There  are  other  ways  in  which  you  can  help  to  make  up 
for  what  is  spent  on  you.  You  expect  to  get  what  you 
ask  for,  and  often  act  ugly  if  you  do  not  get  it.  Is  there 
anything  besides  being  pleasant  that  you  can  do  in  re- 
turn? A  baby  takes  everything  without  thinking 
about  doing  anything.  It  is  too  little  to  know.  But 
are  you? 

Perhaps  all  of  us — ^grown  people  and  Juniors,  and  even 
little  folks — need  to  change  our  thinking  about  home  and 
living  together.  We  feel  that  home  belongs  to  us,  and 
that  we  have  a  full  share  in  its  privileges;  but  when  there 
is  work  to  be  done  the  story  is  different.  We'd  rather  that 
wouldn't  be  ours.  Isn't  it  funny!  And  often  when  Juniors 
are  asked  to  take  their  share  they  think  that  it  is  some- 
thing they  have  to  do  for  father  or  mother,  something 
that  spoils  their  fun,  something  disagreeable  that  they 
want  to  slide  out  of  doing.  They  haven't  realized  that  it 
is  only  a  part  of  their  share  in  living  together  and  making 
a  home.   Grown  folks  often  feel  bad,  because  of  the  way 


38  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Juniors  act,  for  thinking  that  each  one  should  take  a 
share  is  "grown-up"  thinking,  and  they  suppose  that  the 
Juniors  have  ahready  begun  to  think  this  way,  when  in 
fact  the  Juniors  haven't  quite  caught  up  yet  and  haven't 
realized  that  there  is  anything  unfair  in  what  they  do. 

How  do  you  feel  when  you  are  asked  to  do  something 
or  have  "regular  work''  to  do?  Do  you  "just  hate  it"? 
Do  you  get  tired  of  having  the  same  thing  to  do  every 
day,  especially  when  you  want  to  do  something  else? 
Wouldn't  father  and  mother  like  a  change  from  the 
things  that  they  have  to  do  whether  they  want  to  or  not? 
You  don't  expect  them  to  shirk.  Do  you  want  them  to 
do  all  you  have  to  do  besides  their  own?  Of  course  not! 

Maybe  they  feel  that  you  are  not  willing  to  do  any- 
thing at  home  but  will  do  all  sorts  of  things  for  a  neighbor 
whom  you  Hke,  or  at  a  friend's  house  when  you  go  there 
to  visit.  Do  you  know,  yourself,  why  you  do  this?  Why 
do  you  think  mother  is  unreasonable  when  she  com- 
plains? You  do  not  like  it  when  she  tries  to  get  you  to 
play  fair.    What  is  wrong  with  your  citizenship? 

One  reason  why  you  like  to  work  somewhere  else  is 
because  it  is  a  change,  the  place  is  different  and  the  things 
and  the  people.  And  another  bigger  reason  is  because  you 
donH  have  to  do  it.  You  do  it  because  you  choose. 

Now,  just  suppose  you  were  to  choose  to  claim  the 
right  to  do  the  same  work  at  home,  and  take  your  share 
because  you  want  to  play  fair  and  see  that  everybody 
has  a  square  deal;  suppose  you  were  to  do  it  before  any- 
body had  a  chance  to  ask  you  for  it,  before  any  demand 
could  be  made  that  would  take  away  part  of  the  fun  and 
so  leave  you  feeling  that  you  had  to  do  it — wouldn't  it 
please  the  folks  and  wouldn't  you  have  a  lot  of  fun  in 
surprising  them? 

There  is  a  new  plan  that  is  used  in  the  home  of  some 


A  SQUARE  DEAL  39 

Junior  Citizens  whose  father  is  a  well-known  man.  Every- 
thing that  is  done  by  anybody  in  that  home  is  done  on 
the  basis  of  its  being  a  privilege  to  be  allowed  to  do  it. 
Everybody  has  a  definite  share  of  things  to  do.  The  small 
folks,  of  course,  have  the  easiest  things.  They  are  eager 
to  be  allowed  to  try  the  harder  ones,  but  know  that  they 
must  earn  the  right  to  the  "privilege."  If  a  little  boy  is 
given  a  chance  to  care  for  the  furnace,  he  is  happy  in 
being  promoted  to  a  bigger  responsibility  in  helping  to 
make  the  home  and  take  care  of  it.  But  if  he  goes  off  to 
play  and  neglects  the  furnace,  even  once,  the  "privilege" 
is  taken  away  and  given  to  someone  else,  and  he  feels 
as  ashamed  as  a  soldier  is  when  he  is  degraded  in  rank 
and  reduced  to  being  a  private  after  having  been  an  un- 
worthy officer. 

As  you  think  over  the  plan  used  by  this  family  do  you 
think  that  it  solves  the  problem  of  playing  fair  and  giving 
each  one  a  square  deal?  Are  they  right  in  regarding 
work  as  a  privilege? 

Now,  as  you  think  of  yourself  and  your  own  home,  how 
would  it  be  for  you  to  try  to  discover,  right  now,  how 
much  of  the  "square  deal  for  everybody"  depends  on 
your  initiative,  depends  on  your  making  a  start  toward 
a  new  plan.  Who  is  not  having  a  square  deal?  What 
changes  can  you  start?  How  can  you  get  everybody  to 
thinking  of  the  square-deal  idea?  How  can  you  convince 
somebody  who  wants  to  stay  in  the  baby  stage  and 
laughs  when  you  talk  about  work  and  sharing  being 
"privileges"? 

And  you  might  turn  to  Matthew  7 :  2  and  see  what 
Jesus  says  there.  Do  you  think  this  applies  to  home 
living?  Next  turn  to  John  13: 1-17  and  see  what  he  did 
to  teach  some  folks  who  did  not  want  to  do  a  servant's 
work. 


40  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Finishing  Up 

How  many  ways  have  you  found  of  paying  your  way  at 
home? 

Make  a  list  of  all  the  things  that  have  to  be  done  regularly 
by  somebody  at  home,  daily.  Does  each  person  do  his 
or  her  part?  Are  you  sure  that  you  are  carrying  your 
share  of  responsibility  and  privilege? 

Do  you  think  that  the  Junior  Citizens  owe  anything  to 
the  community  as  well  as  to  their  homes?  Why?  How 
can  the  obligation  be  met  ?  This  will  start  you  to  think- 
ing about  something  that  you  will  study  more  in 
another  lesson. 

Do  you  remember  the  two  lines  of  verse  at  the  beginning 
of  this  lesson  group?  Here  are  the  other  two  that  were 
blank  there.    That  will  finish  up: 


How  different  the  world  would  be 
If  every  one  were  thinking  *we'!" 


GROUP  IV 


'A  WORD  TO  THE  WISE" 


Lessons  7  and  8 

FINDING  WISDOM 

There  is  a  good  reason  why 
an  owl  is  chosen  as  the  symbol 
for  this  group  of  lessons  which  is 
about  school  citizenship.  If  you 
will  look  in  the  encyclopedia, 
you  will  find  that  the  Roman 
people  had  among  their  deities, 
Minerva,  their  goddess  of  wis- 
dom. The  owl,  they  thought, 
was  Minerva's  bird,  perhaps  be- 
cause it  looks  so  "wise"  with  its 
big,  wide-open  eyes.  And  so, 
because  every  School  Citizen  is 
in  the  business  of  looking  for  wisdom  of  many  kinds,  the 
owl — the  bird  of  wisdom — naturally  is  a  good  symbol  for 
the  achievements  that  belong  with  lessons  on  finding 
wisdom. 

It  is  fun  to  find  things.  You  know  the  quick,  un- 
expected happiness  that  it  usually  brings.  If  you  find 
something  that  you  had  lost,  you  are  happy  to  have  it 
again.  If  it  is  a  thing  that  a  friend  has  lost,  you  feel  good 
to  be  able  to  discover  it  for  your  friend;  and  if  it  is  some- 
thing whose  owner  you  do  not  know,  there  is  always  the 
possible  chance  that  if  it  cannot  be  restored  to  the  loser, 
you  may  have  it  to  keep  yourself.  Of  course  keeping  it 
without  trying  to  find  the  owner  spoils  the  happy  feeling, 
but  that  is  not  what  we  are  talking  about.    What  we 

41 


42  CITIZEN,  JR. 

mean  is  the  sort  of  joy  and  feeling  of  adventure  that 
comes,  just  as  it  did  to  the  old-time  discoverers  of  lands 
and  treasure,  and  as  it  does  now  to  inventors  who  have 
worked  and  worked  on  an  idea  and  at  last  find  the  way 
to  achieve  it. 

Here  is  some  old  Hebrew  poetry  about  wisdom.  You 
will  see  that  the  first  word  is  * 'happy,"  just  the  very  thing 
that  we  have  been  talking  about.  It  is  the  special  word 
for  you  to  keep  in  mind.  After  you  have  read  the  poetry 
through,  you  will  find  the  word  in  the  last  sentence  too. 
It  will  be  a  good  plan  to  memorize  this  poetry  on  the 
happiness  of  having  wisdom,  for  it  is  very  famous. 

Happy  is  the  man  that  findeth  wisdom, 

And  tiie  man  that  getteth  understanding. 

For  the  gaining  of  it  is  better  than  the  gaining  of 

silver, 
And  the  profit  thereof  than  fine  gold. 
She  is  more  precious  than  rubies: 
And  none  of  the  things  thou  canst  desire  are  to  be 

compared  unto  her. 
Length  of  days  is  in  her  right  hand; 
In  her  left  are  riches  and  honor. 
Her  ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness 
And  all  her  paths  are  peace. 
She  is  a  tree  of  life  to  them  that  lay  hold  upon  her: 
And  happy  is  every  one  that  retaineth  her. 

— ^Proverbs  3 :  13. 

LESSON  7 

THE  GAME 

Does  it  seem  queer  to  you  to  think  that  you  and  your 
schoolmates,  and  your  teachers  as  well,  are  playing  a 
game?  Think  it  over  and  see  if  it  isn't  true.  As  you  may 
have  guessed   already,   the  game  is    "Being  a   Good 


FINDING  WISDOM  43 

Citizen."  It  is  something  like  playing  ball — the  way 
children  toss  from  one  to  another  and  then  catch.  Here 
are  some  of  the  balls  you  throw:  The  things  you  think, 
and  say,  and  do.  The  ways  you  act  toward  your  school- 
mates and  the  teachers  are  different  kinds  of  "throws." 
And,  of  course,  the  teacher  and  the  other  boys  and  girls 
have  to  catch  and  return  the  ball,  just  as  you  do  theirs. 

This  game  of  being  a  School  Citizen  means  more  than 
just  learning  things.  It  has  to  do  with  ''folks"  as  well. 
In  it  you  can  be  "happy"  in  "finding  wisdom"  and  in 
getting  understanding  in  ways  that  you  may  not  have 
counted  before. 

In  this  school  game  of  yours  there  is  a  mysterious 
partner  that  plays  too.  Everybody  has  one.  You  cannot 
play  without  the  partner,  yet  you  cannot  see  it  because 
it  is  a  sort  of  shadow  self  made  up  of  all  the  things  that 
your  ancestors  handed  down  to  you  and  everything  that 
you  ever  have  experienced  from  the  beginning  of  your 
own  life.  It  depends  on  you  to  do  its  thinking  and  decid- 
ing. It  seems  to  have  plenty  of  feelings  and  desires,  but 
to  be  short  on  reasoning  things  out.  That  is  left  for  you 
to  do. 

Do  you  wonder,  then,  that  when  the  blur  of  feelings  is 
strong  the  plays  made  in  the  game  are  sometimes  very 
queer?  Being  a  sort  of  Siamese  Twin  of  yours,  your 
partner — this  shadow  you — sometimes  helps;  and  then, 
again,  it  hinders  by  playing  tricks  on  you  because  of  its 
mistaken  ideas  or  because  it  wants  its  own  way,  regard- 
less of  the  rules.  But  when  you  with  your  thinking  and 
it  with  its  feeling  work  together,  the  game  goes  beauti- 
fully and  you  have  a  happiness  as  satisfying  as  you  do 
when  playing  ball  and  miss  neither  throw  nor  catch. 

Suppose,  now,  that  you  see  if  you  recall  some  times  in 
school  that  correspond  to  that.  You  felt  the  teacher  liked 


44  CITIZEN,  JR. 

you,  and  you  liked  her  too;  and  though  she  gave  you 
"lots  of  work''  you  really  loved  to  do  it  and  were  glad  to 
go  to  school.  The  teacher  and  her  partner-twin  and  you 
and  yours  were  playing  then  according  to  the  rules.  You 
'^learned  a  lot"  and  had  a  happy  time.  And  if  some  child 
had  been  unkind  or  bothered  you  or  her,  the  rest  of  you 
would  soon  have  shown  quite  plainly  that  you  thought 
such  actions  were  unfair.  They  would  have  spoiled  your 
happiness  and  would  have  hindered  all  the  work  you 
wished  to  do  and  what  you  felt  the  school  should  be. 

But  sometimes  an  other-self  is  out  of  sorts  and  jogs 
its  partner's  elbow  or  gives  him  a  big  push  exactly  when 
he  throws  the  ball,  so  that  everything  goes  wrong.  Per- 
haps it  is  the  teacher's  twin,  perhaps  it  is  a  child's,  that 
spoils  the  pleasure  that  was.  The  teacher  may  be  very 
tired  and  easily  upset  because  some  other  thing  went 
wrong  before  she  came  to  school.  And  so  she  may  begin 
to  scold  or  criticize  for  little  things  she  would  not  mind  on 
ordinary  days.  And  very  often  this  is  just  the  time  when 
Junior  Citizens  act  worst  and  take  what  may  have  hap- 
pened for  excuse  to  misbehave.  Their  twins  begin  to 
jerk  around  and  throw  mean,  ugly  balls.  But  times  like 
these  are  chances  for  all  citizens  to  help  by  being  kind 
and  playing  fair,  although  the  balls  the  teacher  tosses 
may  be  very  hard  to  catch.  Those  who  play  the  proper 
way  discover  then  new  kinds  of  happiness  and  a  priceless 
bit  of  wisdom  that  will  help  them  anywhere  if  things  are 
going  wrong.  They  "understand"  that  they  control  their 
twins  instead  of  being  flung  about  by  them,  and  this 
helps  on  the  game. 

But,  as  a  rule,  the  teacher's  twin  is  not  the  one  that 
starts  to  throwing  "wild."  Some  boy  or  girl  who  hasn't 
done  the  work  that's  been  assigned,  or  is  feeling  cranky, 
or  resents  something  that  is  said,  has  a  twin  that's  feeling 


FINDING  WISDOM  45 

guilty,  and  so  makes  the  whole  room  unhappy  and  is 
also  very  wretched  himself.  The  silly  twin  may  whisper, 
"Just  annoy  her  all  you  can,"  and  it  very  often  urges, 
"Answer  back."  It  says,  "She  wants  to  boss  you," 
although  no  other  person  can.  It  likes  the  fuss  of  being 
scared  and  testing  strength  with  "her."  No  matter  what 
"she"  says  or  does,  it  isn't  satisfied.  It  hates  both  school 
and  teacher  just  because  it  hates  itself.  Since  this  is  just 
the  very  thing  it  wishes  to  deny,  it  tries  to  put  the  blame 
on  others  and  destroys  the  fun  for  all. 

Sometimes  a  citizen  may  find  this  shadow  twin  of  his 
is  acting  mean  and  cranky  though  he  knows  no  reason 
why.  If  you  happened  to  remember  times  when  your  own 
twin  did  this,  perhaps  you'd  like  to  "understand"  from 
where  such  trouble  comes. 

This  "other-one"  of  each  of  us  does  many  freakish 
things.  It  mixes  facts  and  people  up,  because  it  only 
feels  and  does  not  think.  What  happens  now  gets  all 
mixed  up  with  what  has  been  before.  And  since  this  twin 
is  very  proud,  it  tries  to  hide  mistakes  and  to  prove  that 
all  it  does  is  absolutely  right. 

Long,  long  ago,  when  you  were  small,  perhaps  this 
"other-one"  got  scared,  or  had  its  feelings  hurt  when 
someone  seemed  to  boss  or  criticize.  That  made  it  sad 
and  mad  and  gladi  Sad  because  it  didn't  want  to  admit 
that  it  could  be  at  fault,  mad  because  someone  interfered 
with  what  it  wished  to  do,  and  glad  because  it  enjoyed 
the  chance  to  test  and  prove  its  strength  in  fighting  back. 
It  felt  that  if  it  could  make  other  people  uncomfortable, 
it  proved  how  strong  and  big  it  was!   Silly,  wasn't  it? 

Sad  and  mad  and  glad — all  mixed  up  in  one  wild  whirl 
of  foolish  feeling!  Then  the  next  time  something  hap- 
pened it  jumped  to  the  sillier  idea,  "This  is  that  thing 
again."    And  though  perhaps  it  wasn't  even  with  the 


46  CITIZEN,  JR. 

same  person  when  the  newer  trouble  came,  your  silly  self 
just  hurled  at  him  a  great,  wild,  ugly  feel  in  which  the 
old-time  fury  was  increased  by  all  the  new.  Then,  if  the 
other  person  was  not  very  wise  to  help,  your  foolish  self 
got  sadder  and  madder  and  gladder  with  every  act  or 
word.  Because  it  couldn't  reason  and  it  didn't  under- 
stand, you  found  that  you  were  puzzled  and  felt  the  world 
was  wrong. 

Then,  since  this  sort  of  thing  kept  on  time  after  time 
— five  hundred  or  a  thousand  times  maybe,  as  days  grew 
into  years — you  now  can  see  quite  easily  the  crazy, 
jumping,  feeling-whirl  your  shadow-self  was  in,  each 
time  banging  harder  at  another  person's  ball  and  blaming 
him  for  all  that  happened  from  the  first  until  the  last. 
And  so  you  see  that  now  your  shadow-self  is  fooled  and 
doesn't  know  the  truth.  A  very  tiny,  unimportant  word 
by  someone  seems  like  a  slap  on  the  shoulder  to  knock 
off  the  "chip"  it  carries  there  as  an  excuse  to  fight.  And 
so  a  sullen  mood  begins,  when  you're  not  feeling  well,  or 
haven't  learned  your  lessons,  or  would  rather  go  and 
play.  A  single  word  at  times  like  this,  though  not  un- 
kindly meant,  brings  on  a  big  explosion,  like  dynamite, 
for  example,  or  TNT. 

Yet  all  the  time  your  shadow-self  was  treating  you  this 
way  your  good,  clear  mind  forgot  to  work  because  your 
twin  was  fooled.  If  you  had  seen  that  all  the  fuss  was 
just  a  huge  mistake,  you  never  would  have  let  your  twin 
make  those  wild  sorts  of  throws.  So  now^  when  happen- 
ings like  these  occur,  just  take  a  good  square  look,  and 
see  the  hidden  reasons  why  your  twin  is  being  fooled,  and 
see  that  what  your  shadow  sees  is  not  the  truth  at  alL 

Whatever  now  annoys  you  is  a  very  little  thing  com- 
pared with  all  the  old  procession  for  which  it  gets  the 
blame.   It  isn't  fair  to  hurl  the  ball  in  some  blind,  angry 


FINDING  WISDOM  47 

way  to  pay  for  what  does  not  belong  with  what  has  just 
occurred.  Before  you  dare  to  throw  the  ball,  decide 
which  you  will  choose,  the  siUy,  angry,  shadow  way,  un- 
fair to  other  folks,  or  what  is  best  for  all — an  angry  mass 
of  feeling,  or  to  show  the  loving  child  of  God,  which  you 
know  you  really  are.  You  must  decide  to  use  your  head 
to  teach  your  silly  self,  instead  of  being  fooled  by  it  which 
does  not  think  at  all.  You  know  which  is  the  shadow 
that  brings  wretchedness;  and  you  know  the  child  of 
God  has  happiness  and  peace. 

If  you  explode,  then  stop  a  bit,  and  see  if  this  wild  way 
is  something  like  some  other  time,  and  how  you  felt  be- 
fore. Just  chase  the  shadow  right  straight  back  and  see  if 
you  can  find  the  lot  of  funny  grudges  that  were  in  your 
shadow's  heart.  You'll  see  how  silly  it  all  is,  and  that 
you  really  want  to  be  a  loving,  godlike  citizen,  instead  of 
"blowing  up."  Time  spent  like  this  will  help  you  much, 
for  as  you  live  and  grow,  your  shadow  will  not  trick  you 
into  acting  like  a  fool. 

Once  in  a  while  it  also  happens  that  a  teacher's  twin  is 
not  quite  grown  up,  and  plays  her  ugly,  nasty  tricks  in- 
stead of  helping  her.  Perhaps  she  never  learned  about 
the  shadow-one  at  all,  nor  how  to  be  the  person 
that  she  really  wants  to  be.  Perhaps  she  finds  the 
children's  twins  reflected  in  her  own.  Then  if  a  child 
shows  disrespect  or  naughtiness,  her  twin  may  jolt 
her  arm  because  she  does  not  know  what  you  have  just 
been  taught. 

One  funny  thmg  about  it  all  is  that  no  one  really  sees 
exactly  what  is  taking  place,  and  so,  of  course,  each 
blames  the  other  for  what  occurs,  and  thinks  its  side  is 
right.  At  times  the  silly  other-selves  of  all  the  class  join 
in.  They  say  "her"  voice  is  sharp  and  mean;  they  think 
she  is  unkind.    And  some  of  them  are  half-afraid,  and 


48  CITIZEN,  JR. 

some  may  tantalize,  and  everyone  will  wish  the  time  for 
going  home  would  come.  Then,  often  after  days  and 
weeks  of  silly  strife  like  this,  the  imps  just  try  to  tease 
her  to  see  what  she  will  do.  They  do  things  to  get  even, 
and  call  her  "an  old  crank/'  although  if  they  could  see 
their  twins,  the  crankiness  is  shared. 

When  times  like  this  come  the  game  of  citizen  is 
spoiled,  for  everyone  who  takes  a  turn  at  pranks  to  tease 
the  teacher  throws  a  ball  that  is  not  fair.  And  if  the 
teacher  doesn't  catch  it  right,  and  if  her  twin  spoils  her 
throw,  true  citizens  should  pick  up  the  ball  and  hand  it 
back  so  she  might  have  another  try. 

Real  catching  means  achievement,  and  tossing  means 
it  too.  It  means  that  from  your  lessons  and  from  all  that 
may  occur,  you're  learning  more  and  "being"  more  and 
"doing"  more  than  you  have  done  before.  When  you  are 
very  busy  there's  no  time  for  foolish  tricks.  You'd  very 
much  rather  just  do  your  work  than  stop  for  "monkey- 
shines."  And  this  is  what  should  happen  in  your  school- 
room game  of  ball. 

A  first-class  citizen  will  learn  to  educate  his  twin  for 
playing  fair  and  choosing  well,  to  have  a  happy  time  in- 
stead of  wrecking  everything  in  jealous,  bitter  strife. 
He's  busy  "finding  wisdom"  that  will  choose  the  better 
way.  He  learns  to  understand  his  twin  that  it  may  help 
him  make  the  game  a  joy  and  a  delight.  He's  getting 
"understanding"  that  enables  him  to  show  in  all  his 
actions  a  self  aglow  with  God,  who  shines  with  love  in 
everything  that  goes  to  make  the  game. 

Remembering  that  "meekness"  means  without  strife 
or  irritation  or  ugliness,  you'll  find  some  things  to  think 
of  in  these  verses  from  James,  3 :  13-18.  Here  are  the 
verses  printed  so  that  you  can  study  them  easily.  Point 
out  as  many  places  as  you  can  where  they  seem  to 


FINDING  WISDOM  49 

describe  what  we  have  been  studying  about   School 
Citizens  and  the  way  to  play  the  game. 

Who  is  wise  and  understanding  among  you?  let 
him  show  by  his  good  life  his  works  in  meekness  of 
wisdom.  But  if  ye  have  bitter  jealousy  and  faction 
in  your  heart,  glory  not  and  lie  not  against  the  truth. 
This  wisdom  is  not  a  wisdom  that  cometh  down  from 
above,  but  is  earthy,  sensual,  devilish.  For  where 
jealousy  and  faction  are,  there  is  confusion  and  every 
vile  deed.  But  the  wisdom  that  is  from  above  is  first 
pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  easy  to  be  entreated, 
full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without  variance,  with- 
out hypocrisy.  And  the  fruit  of  righteousness  is 
sown  in  peace  for  them  that  make  peace. 

Exercises 

Watch  for  a  week  and  see  how  you  play  the  game  as  a 
member  of  the  School  Citizens*  team. 

In  what  ways  does  your  twin  try  to  trick  you? 

What  is  your  real  self  like,  and  where  does  it  get  the 
power  to  be  different  from  the  shadow  one? 

Sometimes  your  teacher  or  someone  else  becomes  a  mirror 
of  what  is  seen  in  you.  Look  up  Exodus  34:  29-35  ^^^ 
2  Corinthians  2:  12.  Never  mind  if  you  do  not  under- 
stand it  all.  Get  the  main  idea.  Then  read  this  verse 
from  the  same  chapter  in  Corinthians. 

But  we  all,  with  unveiled  face,  beholding  as  in 
a  muTor  the  Glory  of  the  Lord,  are  transformed  into 
the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  from 
the  Lord  the  Spirit. 

Are  you  veiled  with  a  shadow,  so  that  you  cannot  find  an 
answering  glory  in  the  mirror  of  your  teacher's  face? 

How  can  you  bring  out  the  glory  in  your  parents  and 
chiuns  and  teachers?   What  is  your  share  in  the  game? 


50  CITIZEN,  JR. 

LESSON  8 
THE  WISE  OWL 

Here  are  some  lines  from  some  postcard  verses  that 
describe  "a  gay  young  owl"  who  sat  in  a  tree  and  nearly 
broke  his  neck  by  twisting  it  around  to  see  everything 
that  was  said  and  done. 

"Thus  day  by  day  he  wiser  grew, 
The  more  he  saw,  the  more  he  knew. 
The  more  he  knew,  the  less  he  talked, 
His  wisdom  in  his  heart  he  locked. 

"As  silence  grew  he  grew  more  wise, 
Looked  more  the  sage  with  rounder  eyes, 
Till  of  his  wisdom  all  have  heard. 
Let's  imitate  that  famous  bird." 

If  you  really  know  about  owls,  you  probably  have  been 
smiling  over  these  verses  and  over  the  old-time  idea  that 
owls  are  specially  "wise."  You  know  that  instead  of 
being  alert  they  seem  rather  stupid,  especially  in  the  day- 
time. If  you  go  up  to  one  suddenly  and  press  its  feathers, 
it  may  arch  itself  and  blink  at  you  with  its  round,  staring 
eyes.  It  may  rufHe  up  its  feathers  until  it  looks  like  a 
mischievous  joker  with  a  big  round  face.  It  is  this  wise 
look,  probably,  that  has  given  it  such  a  reputation 
through  hundreds  of  years  from  very  ancient  times  down 
to  to-day. 

Although  the  postcard  verses  are  only  nonsense  and 
give  the  old-time  idea  of  an  owFs  being  wise,  it  is  fun  to 
find  out  some  of  the  things  that  are  hidden  in  this  tale  of 
the  wise  owl.  Whoever  wrote  it  had  discovered  some 
very  true  things  about  people: 

I.  That  if  they  observe  carefully  they  can  learn  much. 


FINDING  WISDOM  51 

2.  That  when  they  are  thinking  things  over  they  are 
too  busy  to  talk. 

3.  That  the  more  they  think  things  out,  the  wiser 
they  become. 

If  you  think,  you  will  see  that  this  gay  young  owl  who 
became  so  wise  had  a  real  purpose  behind  his  looking  and 
thinking.  He  wanted  to  know  about  the  world,  he  wanted 
to  learn  and  to  understand  what  he  saw  and  heard.  This 
is  quite  as  true  about  you  as  a  Junior  Citizen  too,  isn^t 
it? — although  maybe  your  teacher  at  school  does  not 
think  from  your  "silence''  that  you've  grown  so  wise  that 
you  show  that  your  mind  is  so  busy  trying  to  observe  and 
think  things  out  that  you  haven't  time  for  idle  chatter. 
So  perhaps  she  would  like  you  to  do  some  imitating  of 
the  owl's  wisdom  of  silence. 

But  it  is  about  the  thinking  part  of  the  owl's  wisdom 
that  you  probably  are  most  interested.  Perhaps  you  are 
puzzled  to  know  about  ways  of  thinking  at  all,  and  how 
they  can  bring  wisdom.  This  second  lesson  for  you  as  a 
School  Citizen  is  to  help  you  to  begin  working  out  this 
very  puzzle  about  thinking,  so  let's  begin. 

First,  you  may  enjoy  watching  yourself  for  a  while  to 
see  how  you  think.  You'll  want  to  find  out  how  far  on 
you  are  from  the  kind  of  thinking  that  young  children  like 
most  to  do  most  of  the  time,  and  how  near  you  have  come 
toward  real  "grown-up"  thinking.  Here  are  questions 
for  you  to  ask  yourself: 

Do  I  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  "daydreaming"? 

When  I  am  working  on  a  problem  or  trying  to  study, 
does  my  mind  stay  on  what  I  have  to  do,  or  does  it  skip 
out  of  the  window  and  away  to  play  or  to  something 
that's  happened  or  something  I'm  going  to  do? 

If  you  daydream,  and  if  your  thoughts  wander  about 
when  you  should  study,  then  you  haven't  found  the  way 


52  CITIZEN,  JR. 

out  of  child  thinking.  Truly  grown-up  thinking  is  dif- 
ferent from  these  because  it  is  busy  trying  to  accomplish 
something.  Think  a  minute:  is  there  any  difference  be- 
tween the  daydreaming  sort  of  thinking  and  the  kind  you 
do  when  you  are  trying  to  build  a  bird  house  or  find  out 
how  to  make  a  dolFs  dress,  or  something  of  that  kind? 

Which  kind  do  you  need  in  order  to  study  your  lessons, 
to  work  out  problems,  or  to  decide  what  it  were  better  to 
do  in  order  to  accomplish  something  you  want?  Now,  do 
you  begin  to  understand  a  difference  between  the  two 
kinds  of  thinking?  It  is  the  second  kind  that  the  owl  in 
the  postcard  verses  is  supposed  to  do  and  to  have  used 
in  order  to  become  so  "wise."  That  is  the  kind  you  will 
"imitate"  as  a  School  Citizen  in  order  to  search  out  the 
treasures  of  the  finest  wisdom. 

There  are  more  ways  of  describing  the  two  sorts  of 
thinking.  Suppose  you  decide  among  them  as  if  they 
were  conundrums  to  be  answered: 

In  which  kind  of  thinking  do  your  thoughts  go  strolling 
around  from  place  to  place  as  if  they  were  tramps  or 
beggars? 

In  which  kind  are  they  like  explorers  and  discoverers 
who  have  learned  to  use  the  compass  and  the  stars,  and 
many  other  things  in  order  to  guide  them  on  their 
journey  to  the  places  to  which  they  wish  to  go? 

Which  kind  results  in  nothing  but  a  "feeling"  inside 
you? 

One  kind  gives  the  sort  of  pleasure  that  a  child  has 
when  sucking  a  thumb.  The  other  is  like  eating  a  fine 
dinner.   Which  is  which?   Why? 

In  one  kind  of  thinking  the  thoughts  boss  you.  In  the 
other  you  are  master  of  the  thoughts  and  make  them  do 
things  for  you.   Which  is  which,  again? 

One  trouble  with  the  childish  kind  of  thinking  is  that 


FINDING  WISDOM  53 

it  is  a  kind  of  fake:  the  daydreams  are  not  the  kind  that 
really  come  true.  They  are  not  plans  carefully  thought 
out  and  backed  up  with  strong  purpose  to  make  them  be- 
come facts.  They  are  just  like  the  desert  mirages  that 
youVe  read  about — nothing  real  at  all.  Your  mind  force 
is  used  up — for  nothing  of  value. 

Suppose  you  were  going  along  the  street  carrying  a 
bag  of  corn  under  one  arm  and  did  not  know  that  there 
was  a  hole  in  one  corner  from  which  the  grain  was  drop- 
ping out  behind  you  one  kernel  at  a  time.  That  is  the 
way  your  day's  energy  leaks  away  in  daydreams.  If  a 
baby  tears  up  a  Bible  or  a  hymn  book  or  a  prayerbook, 
you  do  not  think  the  child  has  sinned,  but  if  you  waste 
the  life  energy  which  is  a  holy  thing  with  its  source  in 
God,  then  you  must  hold  yourself  accountable.  Now  you 
know  better  than  to  do  the  childish  thinking. 

There  may  be  times  when  that  twin  of  yours  of  which 
we  spoke  in  the  other  lesson,  may  say  to  you :  "Oh,  come 
on;  don't  bother.  Let's  have  a  good  time  and  take  it 
easy,  dreaming."  Then  will  be  a  fine  chance  for  you  to 
train  it  in  purposeful  acting  and  the  kind  of  thinking  that 
makes  a  citizen  of  character.  You  see,  your  twin  likes 
nothing  better  at  all  than  to  dream,  so  it  can  put  off  doing 
something  that  takes  real  effort.  It  hates  to  work.  If 
you  do  not  train  it,  it  will  spoil  your  chances  of  success 
many  a  time.  It  will  make  you  "a  putter-off"  instead  of 
a  person  who  achieves.  It  will  divide  your  mind  in  two 
and  pull  one  way  with  half  of  your  energy  going  toward 
play,  while  the  other  half  may  make  believe  to  be  work- 
ing. That  splits  you  up  into  pieces  of  a  person  instead  of 
giving  you  a  chance  to  focus  all  your  efforts  the  way  a 
magnifying  glass  does  the  rays  of  the  sun  when  you  burn 
a  hole  in  paper.  If  you  do  as  your  lazy  twin  wants  you  to, 
it  will  be  like  trying  to  walk  upstairs  with  one  foot  going 


54  CITIZEN,  JR. 

one  way  and  the  other  starting  off  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. You  will  not  get  anywhere.  And  that  would  mean 
being  a  failure  instead  of  "glorifying  God''  by  making  a 
fine  success. 

It  will  pay  you  to  think  this  out  carefully,  and  con- 
sider it  as  the  owl  did  what  he  saw  and  heard.  Then  you 
will  not  be  misled  because  you  see  even  some  grown 
persons  dreaming  instead  of  doing.  Here  are  some  of  the 
reasons  why  such  persons  act  as  they  do: 

They  are  lazy-minded  and  don't  want  to  exert  them- 
selves to  do  good,  quality  thinking  that  makes  things 
happen. 

They  think  they  enjoy  themselves  better  by  day- 
dreaming and  make-believe.  They  have  not  found  out 
that  what  they  call  "work"  would  bring  them  a  fine  kind 
of  pleasure  if  they'd  just  get  busy  and  achieve  something. 

They  have  bound  themselves  by  the  habit  of  waiting 
until  later  to  begin  instead  of  starting  right  away  when 
a  thing  should  be  begun. 

Often  there's  something  that  they  want  to  "put  off"  or 
avoid  doing  because  it  takes  effort  or  because  they  do 
not  hke  it.  They  know  that  the  thing  they  are  trying  to 
escape  will  have  to  be  done  sooner  or  later,  but  they  just 
play  ostrich,  which  is  said  to  hide  his  head  in  the  sand 
when  he  is  in  danger,  and  think  he  is  wholly  concealed. 
They  poke  their  heads  into  the  dream  sands  to  make- 
believe  escape. 

Real  thinking  is  a  fine  achievement.  It  is  something 
that  we  learn  by  degrees.  By  means  of  it  we  discover  how 
things  resemble  each  other  or  are  different.  We  find  out 
the  causes  of  things,  and  what  we  can  do  to  achieve  what 
we  desire  from  the  materials  we  have.  We  learn  relation- 
ships between  things  and  the  results  of  their  actions.  We 
discover  rules  to  guide  our  conduct  and  to  avoid  past 


FINDING  WISDOM  55 

mistakes,  as  well  as  to  achieve  new  undertakings.    We 
build  ourselves,  our  character,  and  our  future  success. 

As  you  think  about  these  things  suppose  you  turn  to 
the  story  where  Jesus  was  talking  about  a  man  who  was 
going  to  build  a  tower.  It  is  in  Luke  14:  28.  If  you  are 
going  to  build  a  person,  you  will  have  to  "count  the  cost'* 
of  your  thinking  and  not  waste  your  Ufe  materials  in  day- 
dreaming. Every  desire  you  have,  every  wish,  every 
thought  can  go  into  the  making  of  you  if  you  learn  right 
thinking  and  plan  your  tower  to  be  a  structure  worthy  of 
God's  child.  When  you  daydream  you  may  knock  down 
some  of  the  rows  that  you  have  been  building;  if  you  do 
poor  thinking  on  lessons  and  other  tasks,  you  will  be 
leaving  holes  in  your  walls  and  making  unfit  openings  for 
doors  and  windows.  Quiet,  steady  work,  conscientious 
work  from  day  to  day  is  the  kind  that  results  from  true 
wisdom. 

Prove  Your  Wisdom 

Do  you  work  a  little  on  the  easy  studies  and  let  the  harder 
ones  wait  until  the  last,  and  then  maybe  do  nothing  at 
them  after  all? 

Do  you  try  to  do  two  things  at  once?  This  splits  you  up 
and  gives  only  half  your  power  to  each  of  them. 

Are  you  half  hearted  in  your  work?  Or  dead  in  earnest? 

Do  you  put  off  doing  things  and  then  try  to  make  up  for  it 
by  a  grand  rush? 

Do  you  work  by  spurts  or  steadily,  purposefully?  Re- 
member the  fable  of  the  tortoise  and  the  hare.  Which 
are  you? 

Are  you  a  quitter  who  says  things  are  "too  hard''  because 
you  are  too  lazy  to  try? 

Test  yourself  for  a  period  of  days  and  see  if  a  noted 
business  executive  is  right  when  he  says  that  the  biggest 
part  of  getting  things  done  is  getting  them  ''started.'' 
See  how  many  more  things  you  accomplish  because  you 


56  CITIZEN,  JR. 

begin  them  promptly,  than  you  would  do  if  you  delayed. 
Solomon  says  in  Proverbs  4:7: 

Wisdom   IS  the  principal  thing.      Therefore  get 

wisdom; 
Yea,  with  all  thy  getting,  get  understanding. 

In  how  many  ways  are  you  getting  **  wisdom'*  and  * 'under- 
standing" through  your  school  citizenship? 


GROUP  V 


WHEREVER  YOU  LIVE" 


Lessons  9  and  10 

NEIGHBORS 

If  you  look  in  the  next  to  the 
last  chapter  of  the  book  of  Rev- 
elation, you  will  find  that  the 
"holy  city"  is  described  as 

.  •  .  coming  down  out  of 
heaven  from  God,  having  the 
glory  of  God ;  her  light  was  like 
unto  a  stone  most  precious,  as 
it  were  a  jasper  stone,  clear  as 
crystal:  •  •  .  And  the  build- 
ing of  the  wall  thereof  was 
jasper  and  the  city  was  pure 
gold,  like  unto  pure  glass.  •  .  . 

And  the  street  of  the  city  was  pure  gold,  as  it  were 

transparent  glass. 

Jasper  walls  and  gold  streets — what  have  they  to  do 
with  our  group  of  lessons  about  "Neighbors"  and  a  little 
symbol  picture  of  a  street  "wherever  you  live"?  Jasper 
and  gold  are  not  the  way  things  appear  to  you  perhaps, 
but  there  is  a  real  connection.  You  may  begin  to  get  a 
glimmer  of  light  if  you  will  first  remember  that  back  in 
Lesson  i  we  talked  about  the  citizenship  of  the  good,  the 
kingdom  of  God,  when  we  began  to  learn  that  in  Him 
we  "live  and  move  and  have  our  being."  Now,  look  at 
the  quotation  from  Revelation  and  see  "from  God," 
"having  the  glory  of  God,"  "her  light  was  like  ...  a  jas- 
per stone."    The  Uttle  picture  of  a  street  fits  in  with  the 

57 


S8  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Revelation  verses  too — "and  the  street  of  the  city  was 
pure  gold."  Something  as  beautiful  as  this  is  what  our 
community  living  and  citizenship  can  mean  if  we  know 
the  full  meaning  of  being  "neighbors." 

Of  course  you  do  not  yet  see  all  the  reasons  why  jasper 
and  gold  belong  in  our  thinking  about  common,  everyday 
places  wherever  we  live,  but  the  rest  is  part  of  the  citizen- 
ship secret  that  you  are  about  to  discover  in  the  lessons 
on  "Touchstone  Tests"  and  "The  Street  of  the  Golden 
Mile." 

In  the  Revelation  chapter  there  is  a  verse  that  we  left 
out  at  first,  but  must  not  miss: 

And  he  that  spake  with  me  had  for  a  measure  a 
golden  reed  to  measure  the  city. 

What  our  citizenship  "reed"  is  you  will  find  in  Luke  6:31, 
something  that  you  have  heard  about  ever  since  you  were 
little: 

And  as  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye 
also  to  them  likewise. 

Here  is  a  citizen  reminder  of  it  that  may  have  a  familiar 
sound  and  yet  is  a  little  different  from  what  you  usually 
have  heard  or  said:  "Remember  the  Rule  that  is  Golden." 

LESSON  9 
TOUCHSTONE  TESTS 

When  you  read  the  word  "touchstone"  what  do  you 
suppose  it  means?  And  what  connection  can  there  be 
between  touchstone  tests  and  the  city  of  jasper  and  gold 
that  symbolizes  community  citizenship?  The  encyclo- 
pedia tells  us. 

Touchstone  is  a  very  fine-grained,  dark-colored  variety 
of  jasper  used  for  trying  the  quality  of  alloys  of  precious 


NEIGHBORS  59 

metals.  The  alloy  is  rubbed  on  the  stone  and  the  streak 
compared  with  that  of  various  alloys  of  known  composi- 
tion prepared  for  that  purpose  and  called  touch  needles. 
It  was  formerly  used  for  determining  the  fineness  of 
gold.  Touchstone  also  means  "any  test  by  which  the 
qualities  of  a  thing  are  tried." 

So  there  we  are:  jasper  and  gold,  and  tests  by  which 
the  qualities  of  a  citizen  are  tried! 

Before  we  are  quite  ready  to  go  ahead  with  our  testing 
we  must  prepare  some  "touch  needles."  Since  community 
citizenship  depends  on  relations  between  people,  let's 
start  by  trying  to  discover  why  we  like  or  dislike  folks. 
Well  begin  this  way. 

THE   COMPANIONS   YOU  LIKE 

Those  who  like  you. 

Those  who  are  good  sports,  not  afraid  to  play  the 
game  fairly  and  squarely. 

Those  who  are  strong  and  can  do  things. 

Those  who  are  kind  and  considerate. 

Those  who  stand  up  for  you  when  things  are  hard. 

This  is  only  a  "starter"  for  the  list.  Finish  it  your- 
self. Then  we'll  go  ahead  and  prepare  another 
*^touch  needle." 

GROWN   PEOPLE   THAT  YOU  LIKE 

Those  who  are  "nice"  to  you.  Maybe  they  give 
you  candy  or  cookies,  or  other  things  that  you 
like  to  eat.  Perhaps  they  give  you  money  to 
go  to  the  movies  or  to  buy  things  you  want. 
Maybe  they  take  you  to  places — to  shows, 
picnics — or  on  hikes,  etc. 

Those  who  do  not  nag  you. 

The  ones  who  smile  at  you,  and  make  you  feel 
they  like  you. 


6o  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Those  who  "understand"  how  it  is  when  things 
go  wrong,  and  who  do  not  always  blame  you  for 
things  that  you  do  not  mean  to  do. 

Those  who  are  able  to  do  things  that  you  admire. 

The  ones  who  "believe  in  you"  and  make  you  feel 
that  you  are  nice  and  that  you  can  be  some- 
body worth  while. 

The  kind  who,  though  they  seem  to  scold  some- 
times, do  it  in  a  way  that  makes  you  want  to 
do  the  thing  you  should. 

The  kind  that  you  are  not  afraid  of,  to  whom  you 
can  go  and  tell  things  that  bother  you,  and  ask 
questions  that  you  do  not  understand. 

Those  who  may  not  say  or  do  anything  special  for 
you,  yet  somehow  something  comes  from  them 
to  you  and  draws  you  to  them. 

Put  down  other  ideas  for  the  list  if  they  come  to  you. 

You  want  as  complete  a  set  of  needles  as  you  can 
make. 

The  next  two  sets  are  just  the  opposite  of  these 
two.  One  you  can  work  out  by  yourself.  It  is 
why  your  companions  like  you,  and  what  you  need 
to  be  so  that  they  may  like  you.  The  last  set 
is  different  and  a  little  harder,  so  you  will  need 
more  help  with  it. 

WHY   OLDER   PEOPLE   LIKE  YOU 

Because  you  are  "well  behaved." 

Because  you  are  reliable  when  you  have  something 

to  do  or  have  given  a  promise 
Because  you  are  thorough  in  the  things  you  undertake. 
Because  they  see  you  succeeding  in  your  own  affairs, 

if  you  show  leadership,  initiative,  ability  to  do 

and  make  things. 


NEIGHBORS  6i 

Because  you  have  fine  qualities  that  promise  much 

for  your  future. 
Because  you  are  adding  to  your  natural  ability  and 

developing  it  by  study  or  practical  effort. 
Because  you  are  sufficiently  master  of  yourself  to 

know  how  to  obey  without  fussing  or  objecting 

when  it  is  not  necessary. 
Because  you  are  careful  of  your  clothes,  books,  and 

other  possessions. 
When  they  see  that  you  are  thoughtful  about  not 

slamming  doors,  tracking  in  mud,  leaving  your 

room  in  disorder,  or  your  belongings  scattered  all 

through  the  house. 
Because  you  are  courteous  and  well  mannered. 
Because  you  treat  them  considerately  and  do  nice 

things  for  them;  notice  where  you  can  help,  etc. 
Because  you  seem  to  like  them. 

The  last  reasons  are  far  more  influential  than  you  think, 
maybe,  or  ever  have  suspected,  probably.  Very  likely 
you  have  been  so  occupied  with  whether  they  are  "nice" 
to  you  that  you  have  not  thought  that  they  might  be 
wondering  about  how  you  felt  toward  them.  Yet  older 
people  appreciate  attention  and  kindness  just  as  much  as 
you  do  what  they  give  you.  Older  folks  really  take  it  as 
a  compliment  when  their  opinions  are  asked,  or  when 
their  companionship  is  sought  or  wished.  Very  often  they 
are  just  as  uncertain  and  timid  about  making  advances 
to  you  as  you  ever  could  feel  toward  them.  They  don't 
know  whether  you  will  like  or  want  them,  though  most 
of  them  would  be  eager  to  be  good  friends  with  you  if 
they  just  knew  how. 

In  this  case,  as  in  many  others,  a  great  deal  depends 
on  understanding  the  other  person  and  what  is  meant  by 


62  CITIZEN,  JR. 

what  is  said  or  done.  One  place  where  this  brings  about 
a  situation  that  would  be  funny  if  it  were  not  so  deadly 
serious  with  the  people  in  it,  is  with  teachers  at  school 
and  sometimes  with  your  parents  at  home. 

Suppose,  for  example,  something  goes  wrong — you 
misbehave,  or  don't  get  your  lessons.  Then  if  the  teacher 
mentions  it  or  shows  any  disapproval,  you  feel  hurt  or 
disgraced  or  angry,  and  blame  her  for  making  you  feel 
that  way.  You  really  want  her  to  like  you,  but  when 
these  things  happen  you  sort  of  decide  that  she  doesn't 
and  that  you  don't  like  her  either.  And  all  the  time  she 
is  wanting  to  like  you  just  ever  so  much;  she  is  wanting 
you  to  qualify  for  her  liking  you  for  some  of  the  reasons 
we've  just  listed.  When  you  disappoint  her  by  poor  con- 
duct, unlearned  lessons,  etc.,  you  are  disappointing  her 
ambition  to  see  you  become  all  that  she  knows  and  hopes 
you  can  be.  She  wants  you  to  succeed;  and  because  she 
cares  she  tells  you  where  the  trouble  lies.  She  doesn't 
want  you  to  be  disappointed  in  the  results  of  your  work, 
she  doesn't  want  to  see  you  cheat  yourself  out  of  what 
you  may  become,  and  she  cares  enough  to  try  to  help  you 
to  see  what  is  happening.  She  wants  you  to  have  the  very 
thing  you  are  wanting — the  right  to  her  approval  and 
liking  because  of  your  proof  of  your  worth  and  merit.  So 
when  she's  really  caring  you  blame  her  for  "having  it  in 
for  you"  and  not  liking  you. 

The  same  ridiculous  sort  of  thing  often  happens  at 
home,  or  when  you  get  into  difficulty  with  a  neighbor  or 
some  other  grown  person.  You  can  think  these  things 
out  for  yourself,  now,  remembering  what  you  learned  in 
the  lessons  on  school  citizenship  and  what  we  have  just 
been  thinking  about. 

As  you  think  things  over  can  you  see  that  where  the 
trouble  lies  is  that  you  have  failed  in  your  part  of  a  com- 


NEIGHBORS  63 

munity  relationship?  You  test  other  people  by  your 
''test  needles"  and  they  test  you  by  theirs,  and  all  the 
time  you  forget  about  the  "touchstone"  that  would  bring 
the  tests  out  right  every  time  instead  of  mixing  them  so. 
What  is  the  touchstone  that  will  show  you  the  inner 
meanings  of  conmiunity.  citizenship?  Where  will  you  find 
your  jasper  to  test  for  gold  in  conduct  and  prove  the 
worth  of  your  citizenship  as  a  member  of  the  community? 
It  is  in  some  Bible  verses  in  Luke,  just  after  the  "Rule 
that  is  Golden." 

And  if  ye  love  them  that  love  you,  what  thank  have 
ye?  for  even  sinners  love  those  that  love  them.  And 
if  ye  do  good  to  them  that  do  good  to  you,  what  thank 
have  ye?  for  even  sinners  do  the  same.  ...  Be  ye 
merciful,  even  as  your  Father  is  merciful.  And  judge 
not,  and  ye  shall  not  be  judged;  and  condemn  not, 
and  ye  shall  not  be  condemned:  release,  and  ye 
shall  be  released :  give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you ; 
good  measure,  pressed  down,  shaken  together,  run- 
ning over,  shall  they  give  into  your  bosom.  For  with 
what  measure  ye  mete  it  shall  be  measured  to  you 
again. 

Love,  you  see,  is  the  touchstone — love  which  is  of  God. 
And  this  love  will  work  out  what  seen!  like  miracles  as 
you  test  yourself  for  community  citizenship  and  do  unto 
others  as  you  would  have  them  do  to  you.  Let  us  see 
how  it  may  work  out. 

If  you  show  a  loving  spirit  even  to  somebody  who  does 
not  seem  to  be  loving  toward  you,  what  will  the  result 
be?  Take  up  "test  needles"  from  your  different  lists  and 
see.  The  other  person  will  begin  to  be  more  loving  to 
you. 

"Be  merciful,"  even  though  the  other  person  does  not 
seem  merciful  toward  you.    Find  your  test  needles  and 


64  CITIZEN,  JR. 

see  what  will  result  in  establishing  the  friendly  attitude 
which  is  a  part  of  community  citizenship. 

"Judge  not,"  that  the  other  person  is  this  or  that  dis- 
agreeable thing.  You  may  not  understand  that  you  are 
really  looking  at  love  turned  wrongside  out  so  that  the 
seams  show.  Prove  by  your  test  needles  that  "ye  shall 
not  be  judged." 

"Condemn  not" — send  out  love  instead  of  anger, 
antagonism,  and  strife.  Test  and  see  what  will  come  back 
to  you. 

"Release" — let  the  other  person  be  free.  Do  not  bind 
him  by  demands  for  what  you  want  or  by  thinking  ill  of 
him;  and  you  shall  be  released  yourself  through  love. 
Try  to  discover  the  nice  things  in  him,  and  by  showing 
your  own  nice  qualities  in  loving  ways  the  tests  will  prove 
that  your  community  citizenship  is  made  of  jasper  and 
gold. 

"Give."  Just  look  over  the  test-needle  lists  and  see 
how  often  giving  occurs  in  some  form.  Then  remember 
"with  what  measure  ye  mete  [measure  out]  it  shall  be 
measured  to  you  again." 

A  person  who  has  been  a  teacher  of  Junior  Citizens  who 
have  now  grown  to  be  the  prominent  men  of  the  com- 
munity where  they  live  sent  a  clipping  when  this  book  of 
yours  was  being  planned.  The  clipping  was  about  a  very 
old  book,  and  this  is  how  it  began: 

THE  GOOD  LITTLE  BOY*S  BOOK 

Such  is  the  title  of  a  little  paper-covered  book,  dis- 
colored by  seventy-five  years  of  usage  and  weather,  that 
has  fallen  into  our  hands.  It  was  evidently  a  prize  be- 
stowed upon  a  deserving  Sunday-school  pupil.  .  .  .  The 
Good  Little  Boy's  Book  begins  its  instructions  thus:  *T 
do  not  know  anything  more  pleasing  than  to  see  children 


NEIGHBORS  65 

conduct  themselves  properly  on  all  occasions.  There  are 
some  boys  who  never  seem  to  know  how  they  ought  to 
behave.  I  know  one  who  would  tease  people  with  ques- 
tions when  they  were  reading  or  writing,  take  one*s  chair 
if  one  happened  to  rise  for  a  moment,  leave  the  door  wide 
open  on  a  cold  day,  and  do  a  htmdred  other  rude  things, 
just  because  he  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  think  about 
the  matter/' 

Since  you  know  the  touchstone  tests,  suppose  you  see 
just  what  loving  considerate  things  this  seventy-five- 
year-old  book  was  trying  to  teach.  Though  it  says  "boy," 
"girl"  will  do  too. 

Make  as  long  a  list  as  you  can,  of  ways  in  which  you 
are  going  to  prove  the  quality  of  your  community  life  at 
home,  at  school,  in  the  neighborhood,  etc. 

Memorize  the  touchstone  quotation,  so  that  you  will 
have  it  as  a  help  as  long  as  you  live.  It  will  make  a  big 
difference  in  your  community  citizenship  if  you  will  let 
it. 

Look  up  Matthew  5:43-48.  From  what  Jesus  said, 
even  to  love  one's  enemies  was  to  be  a  matter  of  course, 
an  everyday  mark  of  a  true  citizen  of  God's  kingdom. 
Do  you  think  he  would  have  set  such  a  standard  if  it 
were  too  hard?  If  in  God's  love  and  life  and  power  we 
live  and  move  and  are,  should  we  find  it  hard  to  live  as 
Jesus  shows  that  a  citizen  should? 

Where  can  you  get  what  you  need  in  order  to  live  as  a 
citizen  whose  conduct  meets  the  touchstone  tests  and 
proves  that  it  is  fine  gold?  Will  practice  and  habit  help? 
What  will  you  do  at  times  when  your  test  would  show  no 
gold  at  all  in  what  you  have  done?  Need  you  ever  be 
discouraged  and  think  it  is  no  use? 

Does  a  community  citizen  of  the  finest  sort  ever  excuse 
himself  by  what  somebody  else  has  done? 


66  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Special  Tests 

Has  getting  up  pleasantly  anything  to  do  with  jasper  and 
gold  in  your  conduct? 

What  part  of  the  time  are  you  '*on  your  honor''  in  school? 

When  you  would  rather  read  or  play  and  there  is  some 
errand  or  *'work"  that  you  are  needed  for,  what  will 
you  do  to  prove  the  quality  of  your  citizenship? 

How  about  being  tidy  in  clothes,  person,  and  habits? 

Will  you  adopt  this  as  a  daily  test  for  your  conduct  as  a 
citizen  of  the  community? — *T  will  do  something  with- 
out fail  to  help  at  home." 

LESSON  10 
THE  STREET  OF  THE  GOLDEN  MILE 

You  found  some  of  the  gold  and  jasper  of  community 
citizenship  in  the  lesson  that  we  studied  last  time.  And 
you  saw  how  the  loving  spirit  of  "As  ye  would  that  men 
should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them  likewise"  is  the 
shining  rule  by  which  to  test  your  conduct.  Now,  in  this 
new  lesson  you  can  measure  the  street  of  living  together 
by  the  very  same  "Rule  that  is  Golden." 

Look  in  Matthew  5:41,  where  you  will  find  another 
way  in  which  Jesus  expressed  the  same  idea  when  he  gave 
a  special  direction  to  citizens  of  his  kingdom,  the  fellow- 
ship of  the  good.  "And  whosoever  shall  compel  thee  to 
go  one  mile,  go  with  him  two."  Think  this  over  and  see 
whether  he  meant,  "Be  twice  as  considerate,  obliging, 
and  generous  as  you  would  be  required  or  expected  to  be." 

Now,  suppose  we  start  in  to  measure  the  Street  of 
Living  Together,  by  this  special  meaning  of  our  golden 
reed,  and  see  how  we  can  discover  there  that  we  are 
measuring  off  the  Street  of  the  Golden  Mile. 

Have  you  ever  seen  somebody  going  along  the  street 


NEIGHBORS  67 

reading  a  letter,  who  tore  it  into  bits  and  scattered  them? 
or  somebody  who  was  eating  peanuts  and  throwing  the 
shells  around?  or  picnic  folks  who  scattered  food  refuse, 
and  papers,  leaving  them  to  litter  the  place,  without 
considering  what  it  would  be  like  for  the  next  people 
who  came?  How  would  you  feel  if  you  had  just  cleaned 
the  sidewalk  for  mother  when  somebody  came  along  and 
littered  it  this  way?  Would  you  think  it  fair  or  con- 
siderate? And  if  people  came  into  your  yard,  even  though 
they  had  permission,  and  left  papers  and  food  behind 
them,  would  you  feel  that  they  had  shown  even  common 
courtesy?  Is  there  any  difference  between  what  is  fair 
and  considerate  in  these  cases  and  the  others?  Because 
a  place  belongs  to  the  whole  community  instead  of  to  a 
person,  does  that  change  what  ought  to  be  done?  'Twice 
as  considerate,  obliging,  and  generous,  as  you  would  be 
required  or  expected  to  be"  is  our  rule  of  gold.  Suppose 
you  measure  here,  and  see  what  true,  wide-awake  re- 
spectable community  citizens  would  do.  Let's  measure 
this  way.  If  streets  and  parks  and  the  woods  and  the 
shore  are  ours  to  use  and  to  enjoy,  are  they  ours  to  keep 
clean  too? 

Suppose  you  find  them  littered,  what  will  you  do  in 
order  to  belong  on  the  Street  of  the  Golden  Mile? 

How  about  whittling  letters  in  trees  or  hacking 
benches,  fences,  etc.?  Or  writing  with  pencil  and  chalk 
on  houses  and  walls  or  in  public  places?  People  who  do 
these  things  are  forgetting  their  citizenship  in  thinking  of 
their  own  fun.  What  are  the  things  that  you  think  they 
should  realize  and  remember  in  order  to  measure  their 
conduct  with  the  "reed"  that  tests  for  citizenship  and  a 
place  in  the  Street  of  the  Golden  Mile?  How  can  a 
Junior  Citizen  help  such  folks  to  learn  how  much  nicer 
•it  is  to  live  up  to  tJie  finest  citizenship? 


68  CITIZEN,  JR. 

One  of  the  places  where  some  Junior  Citizens  are  care- 
less in  such  matters  is  in  school.  They  mark  up  text- 
books that  are  furnished  them  and  are  careless  and  waste- 
ful with  pencils  and  paper  and  other  supplies.  Once  a 
teacher  asked  some  of  these  folks  a  few  questions  to  help 
them  to  think,  and  to  understand  what  they  were  doing. 
You  may  be  interested  in  the  questions  yourself: 

"Who  owns  the  school  buildings?" — Many  of  the  pupils 
did  not  know;  some  guessed  "The  school  board,"  but 
before  long  they  all  realized  that  it  is  the  "people  of  the 
town,  because  they  pay  the  taxes  to  build  and  keep  up 
the  schools." 

"What  diflference  does  it  make  to  'the  people'  if  a  wall 
is  defaced  and  has  to  be  refinished?" — Soon  the  pupils 
saw  that  such  things  mean  more  taxes,  more  money  to 
be  paid  by  the  fathers  and  mothers  and  the  rest  of  the 
people  of  the  community. 

"What  difference  would  more  taxes  mean  to  the 
pupils?" — Suppose  the  parents  had  to  pay  only  ten  cents 
more  tax;  that  would  mean  there  would  be  a  dime  less, 
with  which  one  might  buy  an  ice-cream  cone,  a  soda,  or 
help  to  pay  for  a  hair  ribbon. 

By  thinking  such  questions  through  with  their  teacher 
the  boys  and  girls  came  to  feel  that  they  had  a  share  in 
the  community  ownership  of  public  buildings,  and  that 
they  had  a  citizen's  responsibility  for  a  share  in  keeping 
things  nice  everywhere,  and  avoiding  all  possible  waste. 

Since  you  have  been  thinking  about  taxes,  suppose  you 
ask  older  people  some  questions  in  order  to  find  out  just 
how  much  the  citizens  of  your  community  paid  in  taxes 
to  build  your  school.  See  if  you  can  discover  how  much 
it  costs  each  year  for  every  boy  and  girl  who  attends.  If 
a  boy  or  girl  adds  to  the  expense,  is  it  fair?  What  are 
the  different  kinds  of  things  that  boys  and  girls  can  do 


NEIGHBORS  69 

to  prove  to  the  community  that  they  are  good  citizens, 
appreciating  what  has  been  paid  for  by  the  community 
for  them?  The  people  are  willing  to  pay  that  much  for 
every  child  each  year.  Apply  the  rule  that  is  golden  and 
list  some  things  that  the  boys  and  girls  may  do  in  ex- 
change. 

Count  up  the  amount  that  the  community  has  spent 
on  you  since  you  began  to  go  to  school.  What  have  you 
done  to  prove  that  you  are  worthy  of  this  and  that  you 
deserve  the  chance  for  other  years? 

Can  you  think  of  any  "rule  of  gold"  changes  that  you 
and  your  schoolmates  can  make  in  your  attitude  toward 
the  principal,  teachers,  or  the  janitor?  Maybe  there  are 
in  your  school  boys  or  girls  who  have  not  grown  much 
beyond  the  baby  stage  of  wanting  to  do  just  as  they 
please,  with  no  thought  about  community  citizenship  and 
the  living  that  goes  with  it.  They  do  not  understand  that 
the  school  is  really  wanting  to  help  them  to  have  and  to 
make  use  of  all  the  opportunities  that  the  community 
has  provided.  Go  back  to  your  school  citizenship  lessons 
and  see  if  you  can  find  ways  in  which  school  citizenship 
becomes  community  citizenship.  Then  think  again  of 
the  boys  and  girls  who  want  only  the  babyish  good  times 
that  mean  laziness  and  amusing  themselves  in  ways  that 
waste  time  or  property.  When  they  fight  in  spirit  against 
the  teachers,  principal,  or  janitor  are  they  like  soldiers 
who  fire  in  mistake  at  members  of  their  own  scouting 
party?  How  can  you  help  such  boys  and  girls  to  under- 
stand better?  What  can  you  do  as  a  good  citizen  to  pro- 
tect community  property  and  help  the  representatives 
of  the  community  that  make  up  the  faculty  of  your 
school? 

When  school  is  out  vacation  comes.  This  often  means 
auto  rides  into  the  country,  corn  roasts,  etc.  Shall  we  see 


70  CITIZEN,  JR. 

where  these  things  affect  community  citizenship  in  ways 
that  may  need  changing? 

Speaking  of  auto  rides  may  perhaps  make  you  think  of 
the  kind  of  drivers  that  people  call  "road  hogs/'  What  is 
the  matter  with  such  people?  Of  whose  pleasure  are  they 
thinking?  How  far  along  are  they  in  community  citizen- 
ship ?  How  do  you  act  toward  them?  Do  you  show  them 
an  ugly  face?  Does  being  disagreeable  to  them  make 
them  want  to  be  better  citizens?  Think  of  the  two  sides 
of  the  road  and  the  two  ways  of  looking  at  the  matter. 
If  they  break  their  part  of  the  Golden  Rule,  does  it  justify 
your  smashing  it  too?  How  can  you  make  this  experi- 
ence of  the  trip  a  part  of  the  "golden  mile"?  There's  a 
great  deal  to  think  of  here. 

Now,  there  is  something  else  that  may  happen.  There 
used  to  be  a  delightful  custom  in  the  country  districts. 
The  farmers  had  so  much  fruit  that  they  did  not  mind  at 
all  if  people  helped  themselves  when  passing,  to  what  lay 
near  the  road  or  under  the  trees.  But  people  have  abused 
this  community  courtesy.  With  the  coming  of  thousands 
of  automobiles  there  came  hundreds  of  people  who  were 
sort  of  community  babies.  They  would  even  take  fruit 
from  the  trees.  Perhaps  someone  else  had  taken  what  lay 
on  the  ground.  They  wanted  some  and  so  took  a  share 
from  the  best  on  the  trees,  a  little  or  a  great  deal,  accord- 
ing to  how  greedy  and  unprincipled  they  were.  To  them 
it  seemed  a  very  little  thing.  The  farmer  had  so  much, 
and  what  they  took  would  not  matter,  they  thought.  It 
made  them  angry  if  the  farmer  was  cross  and  objected. 

Maybe  you  have  felt  something  like  this  about  some 
apples,  pears,  or  peaches,  or  a  bunch  of  grapes  from  a 
vineyard.  Maybe  it  was  corn  or  melons,  or  "only  flowers'' 
that  you  took.  Putting  aside  the  fact  of  your  taking 
without  permission  what  does  not  belong  to  you,  and 


NEIGHBORS  71 

granting  that  you  took  only  "a  little/'  suppose  we  count 
up  and  try  to  see  things  from  the  farmer's  side. 

It  has  taken  hard  work  for  him  to  plant  and  cultivate 
his  crop.  When  it  is  harvested  it  will  bring  him  in  the 
money  to  pay  his  bills.  Suppose  that  in  a  day  only  five 
out  of  the  many  passing  autos  stop  for  people  to  take 
fruit  or  corn.  How  long  will  it  be  until  a  bushel  has 
walked  away?  Then  in  the  course  of  a  month,  how  much 
less  of  a  crop  will  he  have  to  sell?  Of  how  much  money 
wiU  he  be  robbed  by  people  who  would  be  horrified  at 
the  idea  of  stealing  actual  cash  and  who  thought  it  all 
right  for  them  to  take  a  "little''? 

Who,  then,  is  responsible  for  the  fact  that  the  farmer 
who  began  as  such  a  friendly  citizen  of  the  community, 
now  puts  up  high  fences  and  "Keep  Out"  or  "No  Tres- 
passing" signs?  Does  taking  a  "little"  have  nothing  to 
do  with  community  citizenship?  In  how  many  ways  can 
you  help  to  prevent  it,  and  reestablish  the  "golden  mile"? 

Now,  let  us  reckon  the  nuisance  caused  by  careless 
auto  parties  who  have  not  made  provision  for  drinking 
water  and  for  filling  their  radiators  in  advance.  Suppose 
you  lived  in  a  farmhouse  at  the  foot  of  a  long  hill,  where, 
three  or  four  times  an  hour  all  day  long,  day  after  day, 
people  stopped  to  ask  for  water.  Would  you  feel  that  it 
was  fair  or  right?  Could  you  get  your  work  done?  Would 
you  want  to  wash  and  sterilize  all  the  glasses  that  so 
many  people  would  need?  Why  ask  the  farmer's  wife  to 
do  it?  She  has  mountains  of  work  to  do  in  a  day,  yet 
often  she  has  this  heavy  burden  from  thoughtless  com- 
munity citizens  who  have  made  her  pay  for  their  careless- 
ness and  negligence.  What  can  you,  as  a  Junior  Citizen, 
do  to  prevent  this  tarnishing  of  her  "golden  mile"? 

What  is  your  idea  of  a  "good  time"  on  Halloween?  If 
you  think  that  it  is  not  the  thing  to  indulge  in  mischievous 


72  CITIZEN,  JR. 

pranks  that  destroy  property  and  cause  annoyance  to 
people,  can  you  explain  how  such  performances  are  viola- 
tions of  community  living?  See  if  citizenship  can  be  golden 
when  measured  by  whether  it  contributes  something  to 
the  living  that  is  shared  by  people  of  a  community.  How 
would  you  suggest  a  way  of  turning  mischievous  pranks 
inside  out  and  making  them  into  surprises  and  jokes  that 
would  deh'ght  and  help?  Which  will  bring  you  the  greater 
fun?  Will  you  start  this  "wherever  you  live"? 

So  far  we  have  been  discussing  mostly  the  kind  of 
community  living  that  has  to  do  with  property  and 
possessions.  Now  suppose  we  think  a  little  of  ways  that 
concern  "folks"  themselves.  What  is  the  golden  attitude 
toward  people  who  are  "different"  or  "queer"?  Usually 
it  is  not  easy  for  boys  and  girls  to  keep  it.  They  are  some- 
what like  the  old  Scotchman  who  said:  "All  the  world  is 
queer  but  thee  and  me,  Jean.  And  thee's  a  little  queer." 

People  who  seem  queer  to  us  make  us  feel  as  if  they 
were  pushing  us  away  from  them,  because  they  are  not 
like  our  ideas  of  what  is  admirable.  Half  the  time  we  do 
not  understand  nor  see  the  many  lovely  things  that  such 
people  possess.  We  are  too  busy  seeing  what  we  think 
are  their  defects.  How  would  you  like  it  if  everybody 
turned  away  from  you?  Why  not  adventure  with  your 
golden  reed  and  see  what  shining  quality  you  can  dis- 
cover in  those  "queer"  folks  that  will  prove  them  likable 
after  all?  You  would  be  grateful  if  somebody  gave  you 
a  chance.  Try  it  once  or  twice  at  least.  After  you  have 
gone  with  them  for  a  while  you  may  not  find  them  queer 
at  all. 

How  about  serving  the  neighborhood  where  you  live 
by  doing  kind  turns  for  old  people  or  those  who  are  sick 
or  infirm?  Can  you  help  to  welcome  newcomers  and  give 
them  a  chance?   As  you  think  of  these  things  you  can 


NEIGHBORS 


73 


recall  what  Jesus  said — "Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one 
of  these  my  brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did  it  unto  me" 
(Matthew  25 :  40).  Go  from  this  to  what  he  said  in  Mark 
3: 35,  "For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the  same 
is  my  brother,  and  sister,  and  mother."  Think  of  being 
brethren  of  one  who  revealed  God.  As  you  reveal  him  in 
golden  conduct  you  will  find  in  others  some  golden  thing. 
Then  you  can  see  that  you  live  in  the  Street  of  the  Golden 
Mile. 

Special  Work 

Notice  where  you  can  help  by  picking  up  banana  peel  or 
other  litter  and  trash. 

Resolve:  *'I  will  do  something  every  day  to  make  home 
attractive — dust,  clean  up,  plant  something,  mow  the 
lawn,  make  something  such  as  a  piece  of  furniture,  a 
bird  house,  a  bird  bath,  a  feeding  station." 

Memorize  Mark  3 :  35  to  help  you  as  a  community  citizen. 

Look  up  the  answer  that  Jesus  made  when  he  was  asked: 
"Who  is  my  neighbor?"  You  will  find  it  in  Luke  10: 
30-37.  Has  this  anything  to  do  with  the  way  you  will 
treat  a  person  who  is  queer? 

Make  a  record  of  your  golden  chances  for  a  week  and  how 
many  you  have  been  able  to  keep. 


GROUP  VI 

Lessons  ii  and  12    . 

PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS 

Some  time  perhaps  you  may 
have  climbed  away  up  inside  of 
the  Statue  of  Liberty,  which 
stands  in  New  York  Harbor,  to 
where  you  could  look  out  over 
land  and  sea  toward  the  horizon 
line.  Maybe  you  have  been  on 
the  top  of  a  very  high  building  in 
the  city,  or  have  stood  on  the 
prairie  where  you  could  see  for 
miles  and  miles  in  every  direc- 
tion, to  where  the  sky  and  the 
earth  seemed  to  meet.  Or  per- 
haps you  have  found  a  hilltop  higher  than  any  other  point 
near  by  and  have  looked  from  its  summit  in  every 
direction  as  you  slowly  turned  around.  Or  you  may  some 
time  have  been  on  a  vessel  at  sea,  or  in  some  other  place 
where  you  could  get  a  wide  view  of  the  immense  circle 
that  marks  the  horizon. 

If  you  had  such  an  outlook,  did  it  bring  a  wonderful 
feeling;  a  joy  in  the  freedom  and  vastness  and  greatness, 
and  did  you  feel  a  strange  power  back  of  it  all?  such  as 
we  like  to  think  of  in  connection  with  this  great  country 
of  ours?  If  you  never  have  seen  a  horizon  view,  nor  felt 
these  wonderful  things  it  will  be  well  worth  while  for  you 
to  explore  for  an  opportunity. 

74 


•BE  AN  AMERICAN" 


PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS  75 

Then,  as  you  understand  this  freedom  and  power  in  the 
wide-spreading  view,  it  will  seem  very  natural  that 
"Liberty''  should  be  holding  up  her  torch  to  give  light  to 
the  world  as  it  spreads  out  around  her.  And  you  will  see 
why  a  picture  of  the  Statue  of  Liberty  is  just  the  thing 
for  the  symbol  of  the  lessons  on  your  patriotic  horizons, 
"A  Real  American"  and  "Loving  Your  Country/' 

Maybe  you  are  wondering  now  what  need  you  have  for 
lessons  of  this  kind.  You  feel  that  you  know  about  liberty 
and  freedom  and  all  the  things  for  which  patriotism 
stands.  Wait  and  see.  Watch  your  horizon  line  as  you 
study  and  see  whether  you  can  discover  something  that 
you  never  noticed  before.  Most  of  us  find  that  true 
American  citizenship  has  meanings  so  wide  that  to  try  to 
reach  their  limits  is  like  traveling  to  meet  the  horizon — 
the  farther  you  go  the  more  it  moves  beyond  you. 

One  of  our  patriotic  hymns,  "America,"  which  you 
probably  know  very  well,  fits  in  beautifully  with  our 
thoughts  about  horizons.  It  gives  word  pictures  of  dif- 
ferent scenes.  Think  of  the  second  stanza  and  the  first 
two  hues  of  the  third.  Aren't  they  ahnost  like  what  you 
might  see  if  you  were  standing  somewhere  looking  around 
you  toward  a  horizon?  The  first  stanza,  of  course,  brings 
in  our  feeling  about  freedom  and  the  Statue  of  Liberty, 
while  the  last  stanza  is  a  citizen  prayer. 

You  know  the  strange  and  awe-inspiring  feeling  of  the 
greatness  of  things  that  comes  over  you  when  you  are 
looking  out  across  a  wonderful  expanse — something  that 
stirs  you  and  makes  you  catch  your  breath  because  of 
the  bigness  and  the  wonder  of  it.  For  ages  of  time  people 
who  have  felt  these  things  have  been  stirred  by  some- 
thing there  that  spoke  to  them  in  some  unknown  way  of 
God  and  of  his  wonderful  power.  As  you  think  of  this, 
say  over  the  citizen  prayer  that  is  the  close  of  the  hymn 


y(,  CITIZEN,  JR. 

"America/'  and  see  if  you  do  not  understand  and  love  it 
more  than  you  ever  did  before. 

**Our  fathers*  God,  to  thee, 
Author  of  hberty, 

To  thee  we  sing; 
Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  light! 
Protect  us  by  thy  might, 

Great  God,  otu*  king.*' 


LESSON  11 
A  REAL  AMERICAN 

Are  you  sure  whether  you  are  a  real  American  or  not? 
You  probably  think,  "Why,  of  course  I  am;  I  was  born 
an  American."  Even  so,  but  are  you  sure  that  makes  you 
a  real  one? 

If  you  are  a  real  American,  it  means  more  than  just 
being  born  as  the  child  of  parents  who  are  American 
citizens.  To  understand  you  must  climb  to  the  top  of  an 
imaginary  Statue  of  Liberty  and  gain  views  of  patriotic 
horizons.  As  you  look  toward  the  wide,  sweeping  circle 
around  you,  you  will  see  things  that  help  you  to  under- 
stand the  spirit  of  America  and  the  ideals  that  it  stands 
for.  And  then  you  will  test  your  conduct  to  see  whether 
it  is  shaped  by  a  fine  loyalty  to  what  our  country  means. 

You  can  best  begin  with  the  real  Liberty  Statue.  Do 
you  remember  where  it  came  from,  and  why?  If  not, 
search  in  a  history  book  or  in  an  encyclopedia  to  see  if 
you  can  find  out.  Then  look  up  the  words  "liberty"  and 
"freedom"  and  see  if  you  discover  anything  that  connects 
them  with  what  you  studied  in  "Following  the  Star,"  in 
Group   II,   when   you  were  thinking  about  initiative 


PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS 


77 


and  self-reliance.  Then  think  about  America's  patriotic 
horizon  of  "liberty,"  ^'freedom/'  and  "justice  for  all." 

Now,  if  you  look  back  to  the  opening  part  of  Group 
II,  you  will  notice  one  of  the  famous  slogans  men- 
tioned there,  "Make  the  world  safe  for  democracy."  The 
words  were  caught  from  a  sentence  by  President  Wood- 
row  Wilson  during  the  World  War.  This  "democracy" 
which  was  to  be  safeguarded  for  the  world  is  an  exten- 
sion of  the  liberty  and  freedom  and  justice  horizon. 

Real  Americans  believe  in  "democracy,"  which  we 
might  almost  say  means  "everybody's  opportunity."  The 
Old-World  traditions  and  customs  made  artificial  dis- 
tinctions which  gave  most  of  the  advantages  to  the  "few" 
and  despised  the  "common  people,"  whom  Lincoln  said 
God  must  have  liked  since  he  made  so  many  of  them. 
Americans  have  no  kings,  emperors,  dukes,  or  barons:  no 
separations  among  the  people  because  of  "high"  or  "low" 
birth,  in  this  Old-World  sense,  but  they  often  spoil  their 
democratic  ideal  by  the  way  they  regard  people  with 
money. 

Suppose  you  test  yourself  out  as  to  this.  Are  you 
"democratic,"  or  are  you  something  of  a  snob?  If  your 
parents  have  only  limited  means,  are  you  ashamed  of 
them  and  of  your  home?  Do  you  hate  to  be  known  for 
what  you  are?  Do  you  seek  attention  from  those  who 
have  more  money?  Would  you  rather  go  with  them  than 
with  somebody  like  yourself  or  who  has  even  less  than 
you?  How  do  you  choose  your  friends,  for  what  they 
ham  or  for  what  they  are?  If  your  parents  have  money, 
do  you  stick  to  your  own  crowd  exclusively  or  are  you 
good  friends  with  whatever  companions  are  worth  while? 
How  do  you  treat  those  who  have  less  advantages  and 
money  than  you  have? 

Whatever   your   financial    standing,    have   you    the 


78  CITIZEN,  JR. 

gracious  ways  that  come  from  a  comradely  heart?  Be- 
cause you  are  so  friendly  and  sincere,  do  others  find  it 
easier  to  be  their  genuine  selves,  their  very  best,  rather 
than  to  be  hypocrites  or  shams?  Are  you  a  true  American, 
then,  in  this  sort  of  "democracy"  as  you  check  your 
conduct  by  this  ideal? 

You  know  that  our  country  has  treasured  from  its  be- 
ginnings the  ideal  of  liberty  and  equality  among  its 
citizens.  How  do  your  conduct  and  attitude  toward 
people  of  different  race  and  national  origin  bear  this  out? 
Do  you  look  down  on  the  ignorant  "foreigners'^  and  do 
you  despise  the  "colored  people"?  We,  who  are  in  this 
country  now — descendants  of  imn^grants  from  other  lands 
— have  some  big  problems  to  solve  in  the  way  of  fellow- 
ship with  those  who  come  with  customs  and  traditions 
differing  from  ours.  Are  we  willing  to  give  them  court- 
eous recognition  and  an  opportunity  to  grow  and  to  share 
with  us  the  best  that  they  have  and  the  best  that  is  ours? 

Study  this  incident  which  really  happened: 

"My  ancestors  came  over  on  the  Mayflower,"  said  the 
lady  from  Boston,  rather  impressively. 

"My  ancestors,"  replied  the  clergyman  to  whom  she 
was  speaking,  "were  members  of  the  reception  committee 
which  welcomed  yours." 

The  clergyman  was  the  Rev.  Sherman  Coolidge,  a  full- 
blooded  Arapahoe  Indian  on  the  staff  of  the  Episcopal 
Cathedral  at  Denver.  Are  you  anything  like  the  woman 
who  spoke  to  him? 

In  a  volume  of  Indian  poetry,  there  is  some  quaint 
verse  which  tells  about  the  attitude  of  those  first  Ameri- 
cans who  welcomed  the  white  settlers.  Here  is  part  of 
it  to  show  you  how  some  of  them  felt  and  what  they  did 
when  the  news  came  of  the  white  man's  arrival.  See  if 
they  had  the  spirit  of  true  democracy: 


PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS  79 

"Lone  Dog  Unto  the  Delawares 

'^Brothers,  Lennapi, 
Hear  ye,  come  ye,  all  ye — 
By  south-way,  east-way,  shoreland  place 
Men  come. 
Boats  come, 
Float  fast. 
Handsome. 

Man-who-paints,  much-talker,  he  much-walked 
Easterly,  south  also. 
All-time  stalked — 
Friends,  they,  he  says, 
Simrise  men,  sun-bom  men,  east-coming; 
Great  things  have,  wonderful,  thundering — 
Yea,  great  things,  hear  we,  from  clam-clam  sea — 
Hear  ye — 

White  bird  boat,  great  eagle,  floats  up  streams, 
Man-carrying,  house-bearing,  much  fire  gleams. 
Friends  they. 
Say  they. 
Come  ye,  hear  ye,  all  ye, 

Let  us  running-friendly  be. 

Let  us  brother-hearted  be, 

Giver-brothers  standing  we. 

Men  with  meat,  men  with  hides,  everyman, 

Bring  your  gifts  laying  them 
At  Clam-clam  sea."  ^ 

Because  we  have  been  so  accustomed  to  think  of  the 
explorers  and  discoverers  as  having  the  right  to  claim 
this  country  when  they  found  it,  most  of  us  never  have 
realized  how  shamefully  the  white  men  misused  the 
friendliness  of  the  Indians.  Those  were  days  before 
patriotic  horizons  had  widened  as  they  are  doing  now.  In 

*  The  Path  on  the  Rainbow^  Boni  &  Liveright,  publishers. 


8o  CITIZEN,  JR. 

order  to  understand  more  clearly  what  actually  occurred, 
just  suppose  that  by  way  of  the  sky  crowds  of  unknown 
beings  began  to  descend  on  our  land,  and  little  by  little 
to  drive  us  from  our  homes,  to  spoil  our  cities,  and  to 
establish  a  new  manner  of  living  that  we  did  not  under- 
stand. How  would  we  feel?  Yet  this  is  what  the  white 
people  have  done  to  the  Indians.  If  you  could  talk  with 
Indians  now  Jiving  you  would  find  that  they  feel  the 
unfairness  of  being  crowded  out  and  despoiled  in  the 
years  gone  by.  They  feel  as  wronged  as  you  would  feel 
if  forced  to  give  up  your  home  to  strangers  who  had  no 
right  to  it. 

It  is  not  pleasant  to  have  to  face  these  facts  and  to  see 
how  they  break  one  of  the  treasured  ideals  that  Americans 
love — a  square  deal.  We  need  to  pray  for  forgiveness  and 
guidance,  to  "our  fathers'  God,"  the  "Author  of  liberty." 
Unless  we  can  find  right  now  ways  to  do  the  fair  thing  by 
the  Indians  of  to-day  as  well  as  by  the  newcomers  to 
our  shores,  unless  we  do  our  part  in  the  "giver-brother" 
spirit  of  sharing,  what  happened  to  the  Indians  may  be 
repeated  with  us.  We  and  our  ideals  may  be  crowded  out 
by  the  newcomers  whom  we  make  to  feel  unwelcome  and 
unwanted  because  we  do  not  understand  their  ways  nor 
help  them  to  understand  ours. 

Some  of  them  have  wonder  possessions  for  our  country, 
in  music,  painting,  drama,  handicrafts,  industry,  agri- 
culture, etc.  Some  of  them  seem  to  have  little  beyond  a 
great  need,  need  of  all  that  we  have  and  are  that  is  good 
and  fine.  Many  of  them  have  come  here  with  high  dreams 
of  a  land  of  liberty,  and  have  had  them  spoiled.  Every 
one  of  them  needs  an  American  brother-hearted  friend 
with  whom  to  enjoy  the  true  American  fellowship  of 
ideals  and  liberty.  This  means  that  we  need  them  to 
share  with  us  as  much  as  they  need  what  we  have  to  give. 


PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS  8i 

To  be  a  democracy  we  must  have  "everybody's  oppor- 
tunity.'' 

In  order  to  see  how  your  conduct  may  seem  to  some  of 
these  foreign-born  or  new  Americans,  suppose  conditions 
were  reversed  and  you  were  in  their  place.  Have  you  ever 
been  lonely?  in  a  strange  place?  Suppose  everybody 
around  you  spoke  in  strange  sounds  that  you  could  not 
understand;  that  you  heard  nothing  else  wherever  you 
went — except  at  home  and  among  a  few  friends.  And 
suppose,  in  addition,  that  the  customs  of  the  country 
were  strange  to  you  and  that  people  disliked  and  avoided 
you  when  you  went  among  them  or  that  they  took 
mean  advantage  of  your  ignorance.  How  would  you  feel? 

There  are  many  problems  to  be  solved — and  they  are 
not  easy — in  this  joining  together  of  old-time  Americans 
and  new.  But  the  spirit  of  good  will,  of  courtesy  and 
consideration  and  fair  play,  the  "brother-hearted"  spirit 
of  true  citizens  of  the  Kingdom  of  the  Good — this  will 
work  magic  results. 

Here  is  where  your  home  citizenship,  school  citizen- 
ship, and  community  citizenship  all  come  together  as 
parts  of  your  American  citizenship.  Among  these  new- 
comers are  boys  and  girls  who  are  having  difficult  times. 
It  is  hard  for  them  to  choose  between  the  ways  of  the 
Old  World  and  of  the  New.  Often,  without  your  knowing 
it,  they  are  watching  you  and  deciding  because  of  what 
they  see  you  do. 

You  need  not  be  surprised  if  they  seem  greedy  and 
grasping.  That  comes  from  the  old-time  bondage  which 
their  people  have  suffered  and  the  bHnd  desire  for  free- 
dom and  achievement  that  urges  them  on  now.  They 
may  lie,  and  cheat,  and  steal.  They  may  use  talk  that  is 
not  nice.  Much  of  this  too  comes  from  bad  conditions  in 
the  old  country.   Released  from  that,  they  want  every- 


82  CITIZEN,  JR. 

thing.  Of  course  some  of  their  choices  are  not  right 
according  to  citizen  standards,  but  don't  be  too  severe  in 
judging  them.  They  have  not  had  your  chance.  They 
need  friends  to  show  them  what  true  citizenship  means. 

You  can  be  friendly  with  them  without  being  intimate, 
of  course,  if  your  parents  object  for  any  reason  to  your 
associating  with  these  boys  and  girls.  Remember  not  to 
be  a  snob.  Don't  patronize.  There  is  nothing  of  golden 
citizenship  in  such  an  attitude. 

Here  are  some  suggestions  to  help  you  apply  your 
"rule  that  is  golden": 

1.  Smile  at  them  in  a  friendly  way  when  you  meet 
them. 

2.  Watch  that  they  have  a  fair  chance  in  games,  etc. 

3.  Help  them  to  learn  English  correctly  by  explaining 
their  mistakes,  politely.  They  will  appreciate  this 
brother-friendliness  greatly  if  you  offer  your  sug- 
gestions considerately. 

4.  You  may  be  an  interpreter  to  them  of  true  American 
ideals.  Your  own  conduct  and  example,  of  course, 
count  for  an  immense  amount  here.  But  you  can 
also  make  suggestions.  *The  best  kind  of  Ameri- 
cans do  thus  and  so,"  or  "This  is  the  way  we 
should  do."  Explain  that  even  if  they  have  seen 
some  American  doing  or  saying  what  they  are 
copying  unwisely,  it  isn't  the  finest  choice  to 
follow,  and  that  you  know  they  want  to  choose  the 
best.    Praise  when  you  can. 

Thinking  It  Over 

What  proofs  can  you  give  that  you  are  a  real  American? 

Ask  yourself  carefully : 

Am  I  fit  to  be  copied  by  the  newcomers? 

Are  they  more  polite  and  courteous  than  I  am? 


PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS  83 

Can  I  learn  from  them  nice  ways  of  showing  respect  to 
father  and  mother  and  other  people? 

Have  I  rude  ways  that  will  become  their  ideals  and  spoil 
the  beautiful  thing  that  they  might  bring  to  American 
citizenship? 
What  will  you  do  about  such  manners  and  habits  as  you 
have  that  you  would  not  wish  a  new  American  to  make 
part  of  himself? 
What  is  your  citizenship  responsibility  here? 
Which  of  the  following  ideals  are  being  offered  to  foreign- 
bom   people   by  the  attitude  of  Americans  in  your 
community : 

These  or  Those 

To  work  with  the  hands  Labor  is  honorable, 

is  inferior. 

To   "make  money**   is  Money  is  of  value  as  a 

the  main  thing.  servant. 

You  must  be  *4n  style"  Character  first. 

to  be  anybody. 

**Do"  others  all  you  can.  Fair  play  is  the  law. 

Rudeness  does  not  mat-  Courtesy  is  blessed, 

ter. 
Write  in  your  notebook  something  about  any  of  these 

ideals  that  appeal  to  you. 
Look  up  James  2 : 1-9  and  see  if  it  belongs  with  what  we 

have  decided  about  snobbishness. 
Try  to  find  the  legend  about  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  and  the 
hated,   despised,   distrusted,   wicked  Wolf  of  Gubbio 
about  whom  Josephine  Preston  Peabody  wrote, 

"The  Little  Poor  Man  touched  my  heart: 
With  love,  with  love,  it  broke. 
And  from  my  bonden  death-in-life 
I  woke!"  1 

If  the  Christ-love  has  touched  your  heart,  you  can  do  the 
same  for  others,  as  a  loyal  American. 

1  The  Wolf  of  Gubbio,  Houghton  Mifiain  Company,  Publishers. 


84  ^  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Learn  this  citizen  reminder: 

For  freedom  did  Christ  set  us  free;  stand  fast 
therefore,  and  be  not  entangled  again  in  a  yoke  of 
bondage. — Galatians  5:1. 

LESSON  12 
LOVING  YOUR  COUNTRY 

The  schools  have  taught  you  their  flag  exercises,  and 
you  know  how  to  take  care  of  our  national  emblem  and 
honor  it.  But  what  does  patriotism  mean?  Only  this? 
Is  it  only  saluting  the  flag,  being  thrilled  as  it  goes  by, 
and  when  we  see  soldiers  marching?  Is  it  just  patriotic 
speeches  on  holidays,  cheering  and  salutes  to  Americans 
of  note?  Have  you  learned  "how  to  strive  daily  and 
hourly  to  keep  that  flag  unsullied' 7  Is  patriotism  only  a 
vague,  general  love  of  country,  the  sort  of  thing  that 
youVe  heard  long,  tiresome  speeches  about? 

When  you  care  deeply  for  a  friend  your  love  means 
more  than  just  the  feeling  you  have.  It  means  sharing, 
for  one  thing.  It  means  looking  out  for  your  friend's 
interests  and  defending  them;  it  means  helping  and  it 
means  being  worthy  of  your  friend's  love,  loyalty,  and 
confidence. 

The  same  things  are  part  of  real  love  for  your  country. 
True  patriots  love  by  what  they  "are"  and  "do"  for  their 
country's  sake.  If  you  think  over  the  life  story  of  well- 
known  Americans,  you  will  see  how  they  prove  this. 

There  are  hosts  of  these  true  Americans  out  on  the 
horizons  of  history.  Out  of  the  great  number  we  can 
select  half  a  dozen  now.  Look,  first,  back  in  Revolu- 
tionary times  to  where  John  Hancock  on  the  horizon  is 
willing  to  risk  everything  in  order  to  make  his  country 
free.  He  and  all  the  rest  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration 


PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS  85 

of  Independence  knew  that  many  people  at  that  time 
believed  that  by  putting  their  names  to  the  document 
they  were  practically  signing  their  own  death  warrants. 
They  risked  being  taken  as  traitors  and  punished  for  dis- 
loyalty to  England.  Yet  look  at  John  Hancock,  signing 
his  name  in  large  letters  with  the  comment,  "I  write  so 
that  George  Third  may  read  without  his  spectacles.''  His 
courage  and  patriotism  show  larger,  since  by  signing  first 
he  declared  his  leadership  in  the  movement  and  so  risked 
special  punishment.  You  remember  that  he  was  Pres- 
ident of  the  Continental  Congress  that  drew  up  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  Surely,  he  and  the  others 
loved  their  country  truly  and  well  with  their  courage  and 
convictions.  Have  you  the  courage  to  let  people  know 
where  you  stand  in  matters  of  right  and  wrong?  Widen 
out  your  horizon. 

George  Washington.  Look  back  along  the  history  line 
to  Valley  Forge,  where  Washington  showed  himself  as  a 
patriot  who  refused  to  give  up  when  everything  looked 
as  if  it  were  about  to  fail  in  the  Revolutionary  cause.  See 
him  as  a  patriot  who  prayed.  It  was  winter;  there  was 
no  money  to  pay  the  soldiers;  there  was  little  to  eat;  the 
men  were  suffering  because  their  shoes  had  worn  out  and 
their  feet  left  bloody  tracks  in  the  snow.  For  these 
patriots  and  the  needs  of  his  country  Washington  prayed 
— and  help  came. 

Do  you  think  that  he  prayed  less  or  had  less  faith 
during  the  time  after  the  war  when  the  colonies  seemed 
about  to  separate  and  fight  each  other  instead  of  con- 
tinuing to  unite  as  a  nation?  In  such  difficult  times  he 
was  chosen  to  be  the  first  President  of  the  country.  Just 
then  he  had  a  big  choice  to  make.  There  was  a  group  of 
his  friends  who  urged  him  to  become  "king''  of  the 
colonies.  Many  a  man  would  have  coveted  the  honor  for 


86  CITIZEN,  JR. 

himself  and  would  have  chosen  the  power  that  the  king 
would  have.  But  Washington  urged  and  chose  what  was 
a  new  thing  in  the  world — a  new  government  by  the 
people  themselves.  Because  of  his  choice  the  country  be- 
came "The  United  States  of  America/^  and  the  history 
of  the  whole  world  has  been  changed  from  what  it  would 
have  been  if  he  had  chosen  to  be  king.  Washington 
proved  his  patriotism  by  his  persisting  through  diffi- 
culties, by  his  prayers,  and  by  his  unselfish  choosing 
which  still  continue  to  bless  the  world.  How  about  these 
three  things  in  your  everyday  love  of  your  country? 

Abraham  Lincoln,  whom  the  whole  world  recognizes 
as  one  of  its  greatest  men,  is  over  there  in  another  part  of 
the  historical  horizon  of  patriots.  He  endured  and  died — 
because  he  had  the  courage  to  do  hard  things  when  he 
believed  they  were  right.  He  had  to  endure  much  criti- 
cism from  people  who  did  not  understand  and  who  mis- 
judged him.  And  what  "made  Lincoln  great  was  what 
made  all  who  knew  him  love  him  ...  to  this  day.  He 
had  no  hatred  in  his  heart.  He  was  the  strongest  man  in 
the  country,  strong  in  his  patience,  in  his  power  of  making 
other  people  see  as  he  saw,  and  do  as  he  desired,  but  he 
was  strong  in  his  love  for  mankind.''  Surely,  he  proved 
his  patriotism  by  what  he  was  and  what  he  did  for  his 
country.  How  about  you?  Count  up  the  ways  in  which 
you  can  imitate  him,  from  day  to  day. 

Frances  Willard,  woman  patriot,  you  will  see  as  you 
turn  a  little  further  around.  She  saw  that  drink  was 
keeping  thousands  from  being  good  citizens  and  that 
other  citizens  were  profiting  by  the  destruction  of  homes, 
the  suffering  of  women  and  children,  and  the  weakness 
and  wreck  of  the  people  who  drank.  For  years  she  was 
the  organizer  and  the  person  who  made  harmony  among 
the  bands  of  women  who  sought  to  destroy  "the  drink 


PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS  87 

traffic."  What  heroism  and  devotion  were  required  in 
the  face  of  prejudice,  hatred,  and  misunderstanding  peo- 
ple who  live  nowadays  can  scarcely  realize.  Though 
years  of  eflFort  have  fruited  in  the  Eighteenth  Prohibition 
Amendment,  which  gives  us  prohibition,  the  fight  against 
drink  is  still  unfinished.  But  citizens  now  have  a  better 
chance  to  be  free  from  drink  slavery,  and  the  government 
of  our  country  does  not  prrofit  by  the  sale  of  licenses  for 
citizen-destroying  liquors.  So  Frances  Willard  was  a 
patriot  who  did  not  live  in  vain.  It  is  yours  to  carry  on 
her  work  and  to  encourage  loyal  obedience  to  the  law 
that  has  been  made. 

Susan  B.  Anthony  is  a  patriot  of  whom  you  may  never 
have  heard,  though  she  was  a  wonderful  champion  of  fair 
play,  a  pioneer  in  the  movement  which  gave  women 
many  rights  that  had  been  denied  them,  including  a  full 
share  in  citizenship  and  the  right  to  vote.  What  she 
withstood  in  ridicule  and  abuse  would  have  discouraged 
a  less  persistent  citizen,  but  such  things  only  made  her 
more  determined.  She  died  before  suffrage  for  women 
became  a  fact,  but  the  amendment  to  the  Constitution 
finally  passed  by  Congress  was  called  by  her  name. 
Women  of  this  country  and  girls  who  are  future  citizens 
in  possession  of  full  rights  owe  much  to  her  courageous, 
untiring  patriotism.  Without  her  work  they  would  lack 
many  privileges  that  they  now  take  as  a  matter  of  course. 
It  cost  true  patriotic  endeavor  to  obtain  them.  Junior 
Citizens  can  follow  her  by  being  undiscouraged  in  their 
efforts  for  what  is  right,  by  keeping  their  eyes  on  the  goal 
that  they  have  set,  even  though  progress  seems  slow  and 
effort  seems  to  bear  little  result.  You  can  be  as  vaKant  a 
patriot  as  she. 

On  other  parts  of  the  horizon  are  countless  patriots  of 
many  kinds  who  have  helped  by  their  practical,  self- 


88  CITIZEN,  JR. 

sacrificing  patriotism  to  make  this  country  of  ours  what 
it  is  to-day.  They  did  their  part,  even  though  it  was  quiet 
and  unobtrusive,  so  that  nobody  else  knew  much  about 
it  at  the  time. 

Yet  even  now,  petty,  mean,  self-seeking,  self-centered 
citizens  are  plentiful  even  among  grown  people.  Such 
persons  have  not  understood  all  that  citizenship  and 
patriotism  mean.  Nor  did  they  have  the  preparation  and 
training  such  as  you  are  getting. 

Because  a  nation  cannot  be  better  than  the  individuals 
that  make  it,  what  you  are  now  counts  big.  You  dare  not 
leave  things  until  you  grow  up.  Bigger  problems  and 
great  experiences  are  ahead  for  citizens  of  the  future. 
From  among  the  Junior  Citizens  of  to-day  must  come  the 
leaders  and  pioneers  of  to-morrow's  advance.  The  world 
will  need  for  its  new  causes  its  Washingtons,  Hancocks, 
Lincolns,  Willards,  and  Anthonys.  Will  you  be  ready 
to  be  one? 

Here  are  some  things  that  will  count  toward  the  mak- 
ing of  superfine  patriotic  American  citizens: 

Conduct,  now,  at  home,  in  school  and  community.  You 
know  what  this  means. 

Character — the  kind  that  is  built  by  choosing  the  best 
and  seeking  the  good  of  everybody. 

Information  about  many  things.  You  are  by  no  means 
too  young  to  begin  to  understand  the  citizen  meanings 
and  the  lack  of  patriotism  in  graft,  vote-selling,  putting 
local  affairs  beyond  everything  else,  waste,  child  labor, 
^'bootlegging,"  etc.  Ask  older  people  about  them  and 
test  them  by  the  citizenship  laws  and  tests  that  you  have 
learned.  Look  these  matters  up  by  asking  in  the  library 
for  information  on  the  different  subjects  such  as  children 
in  industry,  de-forest-ation  (the  middle  of  the  word  sug- 
gests the  meaning)  and  what  is  needed  to  prevent  its 


PATRIOTIC  HORIZONS  89 

disastrous  results.  When  you  find  out,  for  example,  how 
many  children  are  picking  cranberries,  opening  oysters, 
etc.,  for  hours  every  day  with  no  chance  to  play  and  no 
opportunity  for  school,  then  you  can  begin  making  what 
somebody  has  called  a  "divine  nuisance"  of  yourself  by 
incessantly  talking  and  asking  older  people  what  can  be 
done. 

Your  country  and  the  world  need  your  finest  patriotism 
of  every  sort.  Judas  sold  the  world's  best  Citizen  for 
thirty  pieces  of  silver.  Benedict  Arnold  tried  to  betray 
his  country.  Wrong  choosing  is  a  kind  of  treason.  Every 
day  counts,  and  every  minute  of  every  day.  The  future 
depends  on  you  and  your  ideals.  What  will  you  do  with 
it?  What  are  you  doing  now? 

Other  Work 

Memorize  "America''  if  you  have  not  already  done  so. 
How  many  picture  ideas,  whether  horizon  views  or  not, 

can  you  find  in  it? 
Compare  it  with  ''America,  the  Beautiful.''   Look  for  the 

pictures  there  too.    Which  do  you  like  better? 
When  you  **salute  the  flag"  and  pledge  allegiance,  from 

now  on,  what  will  you  think  of  as  real  meanings  for  your 

citizenship  ? 
What  things  are  you  going  to  pick  out  as  your  special 

share   now   in   trying   to   better   your   country — bad 

housing  conditions?  playgrounds  in  crowded  parts  of 

cities?  or  some  of  the  other  things  mentioned  in  the 

lesson?    Can  you  think  up  or  find  out  some  needed 

thing  which  has  not  been  spoken  of  ? 
Suppose  every  Junior  Citizen  all  over  the  country  were  to 

get  to  work  in  earnest,   right  away,   would  nothing 

happen  nowf 


GROUP  VII 

Lessons  13  and  14 

AEROPLANE  SERVICE 

Have  you  ever  been  up  in  an 
aeroplane?  Do  you  know 
whether  things  look  the  same 
when  seen  from  above?  Surely, 
you  have  seen  movie  films  show- 
ing how  things  appear  to  a  per- 
son in  a  flying  machine.  Because 
it  is  so  high  above  even  the 
tallest  buildings  the  view  is 
wider  and  more  far-reaching, 
and  because  of  the  flight  it  is 
constantly  changing.  Aeroplanes 
too  are  for  something  besides 
observation.  They  have  a  purpose;  they  carry  passengers, 
mail,  etc.;  they  help  to  locate  lost  people  and  to  keep 
guard  against  forest  fires.  Such  aeroplane  views  and 
service  are  something  like  a  true  world  citizen's  way  of 
seeing  and  being.  His  world  knowledge  is  wide  and  far- 
reaching,  and  his  helpful  sharing  in  world  living  is  greater 
than  it  could  be  without  such  view  and  purpose.  These 
lessons  will  show  you  more  plainly  how  this  is  so. 

It  is  interesting,  once  you  know  how,  to  watch  and  see 
the  kind  of  citizenship  to  which  people  have  grown.  You 
know  it  by  the  things  they  are  interested  in,  and  how  they 
think  and  understand  what  happens  in  the  world. 

Some  folks  seem  to  live  in  a  cellar  where  they  see  almost 
nothing.    These  are  the  people  who  have  little  chance 

90 


•YOUR  WORLD" 


AEROPLANE  SERVICE  91 

because  of  their  neglected  education,  or  work  that  is  too 
heavy  or  too  long.  These  are  in  the  baby  stage  of  "eat 
and  sleep  just  to  live." 

Other  people  seem  to  walk  along  a  street  but  see  little 
or  nothing  except  their  own  feet  and  the  part  of  the  pave- 
ment just  before  them,  or  whatever  is  very  close  by. 
These  are  folks  who  are  like  very  small  children,  inter- 
ested in  only  a  very  small  circle  of  people.  Just  a  very 
few  outside  of  the  members  of  their  families  secure  their 
interest  and  affection. 

Others  are  like  children  a  little  older  who  care  for  a 
wider  circle;  their  families,  playmates,  and  some  grown- 
ups, such  as  the  policemen  and  firemen  perhaps,  maybe 
some  teacher  whom  they  love  and  admire,  and  others 
whom  they  regard  as  unusual  or  heroic,  or  about  whom 
others  are  talking — "a  human  fly,''  movie  people,  base- 
ball players,  etc.  The  rest  of  the  world  is  scarcely  more 
than  a  set  of  furniture  and  seems  mostly  in  their  way  at 
that! 

Little  by  little  citizen-thinking  grows  in  some  people. 
From  family  and  school  and  church,  on  into  the  com- 
munity and  nation  the  aeroplane  of  their  interest  travels. 
Then  many  of  them  stop.  They  neither  look  nor  see  any 
further.  A  few  may  perhaps  go  far  enough  to  become 
interested  in  some  other  nation  that  is  friendly  to  their 
own.  But  only  the  very  few  go  into  the  aeroplane  which 
lets  them  travel  all  over  the  world  in  their  interest  and 
thinking.  All  the  other  people  are  world  citizens,  for 
everybody  is  one,  but  most  do  not  realize  it.  The  few 
are  the  exceptions;  they  know.  They  see  that  whatever 
concerns  the  interests  and  welfare  of  any  part  of  the 
world  is  of  importance  to  them  as  well,  and  that  they 
have  obligations  and  privileges  that  are  as  wide  as  the 
world. 


92  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Does  it  make  you  almost  dizzy  to  try  to  fly  so  high  and 
so  far  as  to  think  of  being  this  kind  of  citizen?  Never 
mind,  after  you  get  used  to  it  thinking  this  way  will  be- 
come so  natural  that  seeing  far-off  things  will  be  as  easy 
as  it  now  is  to  notice  what  happens  along  the  street 
where  you  live. 

In  I  Corinthians  12: 12-26  you  will  find  this  spirit  of 
world  citizenship  expressed  in  another  way,  by  different 
parts  of  the  body.   See  what  the  Bible  verses  say: 

As  the  body  is  one,  and  hath  many  members,  and 
all  the  members  of  the  body,  being  many,  are  one 
body,  so  also  is  Christ.  .  .  .  And  the  eye  cannot  say 
to  lie  hand,  I  have  no  need  of  thee;  or  again  the 
head  to  the  feet,  I  have  no  need  of  you.  .  .  .  Now  ye 
are  the  body  of  Christ,  and  severally  members  there- 
of. 

The  picture  symbol  for  these  lessons  has  two  hemi- 
spheres, and  yet  it  represents  one  world.  Think  about  this 
and  then  read  these  words  from  Ephesians  2: 18: 

For  through  him  we  both  have  our  access  in  one 
spirit  unto  the  Father.  So  then  ye  are  no  more 
strangers  and  sojourners,  but  ye  are  fellow  citizens 
with  the  saints,  and  of  the  household  of  God. 

Join  this  with  the  Corinthians  verses  and  see  if  true 
Christian  citizenship  is  as  wide  as  the  world. 

LESSON  13 

BIRD'S-EYE  VIEWS 

Long  before  there  were  aviators  to  be  spoken  of  as 
bird-men,  and  before  there  were  aeroplanes  to  see  from, 
people  used  the  words  *^bird's-eye  view"  to  describe  what 
could  be  seen  from  a  very  high  outlook.    In  your  aero- 


AEROPLANE  SERVICE  93 

plane  service,  right  now  as  a  Junior  Citizen,  you  will 
want  to  make  voyages  in  a  good  many  directions  to  get 
bird's-eye  views  of  the  world. 

It  would  be  a  pity  to  wait  until  you  are  older  before 
getting  big  views  of  what  the  world  is  like.  You  would 
miss  so  many  good  times  and  would  have  a  lot  of  catching 
up  to  do  later  on.  The  more  you  know  about  what  the 
world  is  like  from  your  voyages  now,  the  better  you  will 
be  able  to  "fly''  in  your  planes  later  on  as  you  think 
intelligently  about  world  conditions  and  happenings  in 
other  countries.  Besides,  unless  you  get  used  to  thinking 
in  world  views  the  longer  you  will  have  to  put  off  your 
aeroplane  service  to  the  world. 

Although  you  could  begin  almost  anywhere,  suppose 
you  make  a  first-trial  voyage  to  see  what  you  can  learn 
about  just  common,  everyday  bread  and  how  it  is  used 
all  over  the  world.  Are  there  any  different  sorts  used  in 
various  countries?  Are  there  places  where  bread  as  you 
know  it,  is  not  used?  What  substitutes  for  bread  are 
found  in  different  places?  What  was  the  bread  described 
in  the  Bible?  What  do  you  know  about  the  modern 
process  of  breadmaking  in  large  bakeries?  These  are  only 
a  few  of  the  interesting  things  that  you  may  observe  on 
this  trip. 

Houses  next.  Have  you  ever  compared  the  different 
shapes  and  kinds  of  houses  that  people  live  in,  throughout 
the  world?  Try  to  count  up  all  the  different  varieties  you 
can.  Notice  the  difference  between  Lapland  and  Eskimo 
houses  and  those  in  Africa.  How  do  they  differ  from 
houses  in  Palestine?  Is  there  any  difference  between  the 
appearance  of  houses  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
United  States  and  in  the  southwestern?  Why?  If  you 
were  to  alight  away  down  in  the  Argentine  or  in  Chile, 
how  would  you  know  from  the  houses  that  you  were  not 


94  CITIZEN,  JR. 

in  England,  Switzerland,  or  Russia?  In  what  European 
country  might  you  think  you  were?  Why?  If  you  were 
to  fly  around  the  world  in  the  different  temperature 
zones,  what  would  you  discover  about  houses  that  are  in 
different  countries  and  continents  having  the  same  lati- 
tude north  or  south  of  the  equator? 

How  about  clothes?  They  will  make  an  interesting 
journey  too.  What  do  you  know  about  differences  there? 
Could  you  tell  a  Hindu  from  a  Korean?  a  Japanese  from 
a  Chinese?  would  you  recognize  a  Norwegian,  an  Italian 
peasant,  and  a  Bedouin?  Do  you  find  any  places  where 
differences  in  clothing  show  different  religious  faiths? 

Shoes,  although  a  part  of  clothes,  might  give  you  an 
interesting  trip.  After  you  have  seen  as  many  kinds  as 
possible  you  might  compare  them  with  the  ones  used  in 
Bible  times.  Where  is  it  customary  to  remove  shoes  now, 
as  Moses  was  told  to  do  when  he  saw  the  burning  bush 
where  the  angel  of  God's  presence  talked  with  him  in  the 
desert?  You  will  find  that  story  in  Exodus  3:  2-5. 

Another  interesting  trip  would  be  a  tour  of  inspection 
to  compare  methods  and  means  of  travel  and  transporta- 
tion in  all  parts  of  the  world.  You  will  be  interested  in 
both  animals  and  vehicles,  and  may  learn  something 
about  roads  and  the  time  required  to  journey  by  land 
and  by  water.  How  about  travel  and  vehicles  in  Bible 
times?   Where  are  similar  customs  still  in  use? 

Trees  and  fruits  can  give  you  a  most  entertaining  trip, 
especially  if  you  let  it  include  wood  and  fruits,  going 
back  to  the  places  from  which  they  come  to  your  home. 
You  might  compare  the  trees  of  the  East  and  the  West 
of  this  continent,  the  North  and  the  South,  and  then  see 
whether  corresponding  locations  in  Europe  and  Asia  have 
the  same  kinds.  Why  not  fly  from  arctic  to  antarctic 
circles,  to  get  views  of  the  range  in  varieties  of  trees 


AEROPLANE  SERVICE  95 

in  that  direction  and  how  the  two  hemispheres 
compare? 

Other  fascinating  journeys  would  be  those  in  which  you 
observe  family  life — the  place  of  the  father  and  of  the 
mother  and  that  of  the  children;  what  the  children  play 
and  what  kind  of  schools  they  have. 

Different  religions  and  governments  will  give  you  trips 
of  travel  too.  You  will  want  to  compare  others  with  your 
own,  and  know  what  the  conditions  are  outside  of  this 
country  of  ours. 

If  there  are  other  things  you  think  of  that  specially 
interest  you,  by  all  means  take  those  trips.  The  more 
you  know  about  this  world  of  ours,  the  better  you  will  be 
ready  to  understand  what  you  see  and  hear  and  read, 
both  now  and  later  on  when  you  have  immense  oppor- 
tunities of  world  citizenship  for  which  you  are  preparing. 

As  for  flying  machines  to  take  you  on  all  these  many 
journeys,  there  are  several  kinds  at  your  service,  espe- 
cially books,  magazines,  and  talks  with  people  from  other 
countries.  Even  pubUcations  that  are  more  especially  for 
older  people  you  will  find  helpful  with  their  interesting 
pictures  and  photographs  that  give  the  needed  world 
knowledge.  The  National  Geographic  Magazine,  Asia, 
and  the  different  missionary  magazines  all  will  help. 
Geographies,  encyclopedias,  and  Bible  dictionaries  are 
other  "planes"  that  you  can  use.  For  trips  of  a  different 
kind  you  will  need  such  magazines  as  Science  and  Inven- 
tion, or  The  Literary  Digest,  or  Popular  Science  Monthly 
— to  discover  new  things  of  many  kinds  that  are  going 
on  in  the  world. 

You  can  ask  questions  of  older  people  and  get  them  to 
help  you.  They  may  be  very  much  behind  the  times 
themselves,  and  will  enjoy  taking  the  trip  with  you  if 
you  do  not  make  them  uncomfortable  by  trying  to  prove 


96  CITIZEN,  JR. 

how  much  or  how  little  they  know.  They  may  have  for- 
gotten a  great  deal  that  they  knew  once  and  need  only 
a  little  brushing  up  to  be  able  to  remember. 

Exercises 

Since  this  lesson  is  to  help  you  in  gaining  world  knowledge 
you  can  report  on  your  work  by  degrees  and  get  credit 
both  now  and  later  on.  If  you  have  had  a  special  trip 
assigned  to  you,  report  on  it  in  class  during  this  period. 

Look  at  the  front  page  of  the  newspapers  for  a  week  and 
find  how  many  parts  of  the  world  are  mentioned.  This 
will  vary,  for  world  conditions  may  bring  up  few  places 
one  week  and  many  places  another. 

If  you  hear  a  place  mentioned  when  grown  people  are 
talking,  remember  it  and  find  out  where  it  is.  Ask  why 
it  is  interesting.  Get  older  folks  interested  in  world- 
citizenship  thinking  such  as  you  are  learning.  They  may 
never  have  thought  about  it. 

Listen  to  older  folks  talking  and  weigh  their  citizen  atti- 
tudes in  the  scales  provided  by  the  Bible  verses  for  this 
lesson  group. 

Our  own  country  has  such  a  wide  range  of  territory  and 
conditions  that  it  will  repay  a  flying  visit.  Look  up  the 
far-scattered  places  of  interest  in  the  main  part  of  the 
United  States,  between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific. 
Then  find  out  what  you  can  about  the  other  regions. 
Porto  Rico — what  is  it  like?  What  help  have  we  been 
there?  Alaska — see  if  you  can  find  books  telling  about 
products  and  climate  there,  the  midnight  sun,  and  the 
industries  and  animals  and  transportation.  Then  a  long 
flight  to  the  middle  of  the  Pacific,  to  the  Hawaiian 
Islands.  What  do  you  know  of  them?  How  did  they 
come  to  be  a  part  of  the  United  States?  Is  there  a 
famous  volcano  there?  Find  out  about  those  other 
islands  nearer  Asia,  the  Philippines.  Have  we  helped 
any  there?   Then  fly  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  to  the 


AEROPLANE  SERVICE  97 

Canal  Zone.  Have  we  done  a  bit  of  world  service  there  ? 
In  how  many  ways? 
What  have  been  the  results  of  the  World  War  to  the  chil- 
dren of  the  world?  What  are  your  advantages  over 
children  in  most  countries  ?  Then  what  is  the  measure  of 
your  responsibility  and  privilege  as  a  world  citizen? 
Remember,  "Freely  ye  have  received,  freely  give,"  and 
"with  what  measure  ye  mete  it  shall  be  measured  to 
you  again.'* 

LESSON  14 
INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD 

Here  is  a  Bible  verse  that  will  add  to  our  meanings 
for  world  citizenship.  It  is  what  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples 
before  he  left  them.  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  gospel  to  the  whole  creation''  (Mark  16:  15).  You 
can  see  in  it  a  direction  that  concerns  all  lands  and  all 
peoples — that  the  whole  world  may  come  to  share  in  the 
full  citizenship  of  God's  kingdom.  Because  of  this  do  you 
think  that  as  a  Junior  Citizen  your  preparation  for  world 
citizenship  would  be  half  complete  without  a  knowledge 
of  religions  and  missions  in  many  lands  and  among  many 
peoples?  Surely  not.  So  those  are  the  next  trips  that 
your  aeroplane  service  will  prepare  for. 

Do  you  know  the  difference  between  the  religious  be- 
liefs of  the  people  of  Japan  and  those  of  India?  the 
Chinese  and  the  Mexicans?  the  people  of  Central  Africa 
and  those  of  South  America?  the  Alaskan  Indians  and 
the  Philippines?  Those  are  real  good,  exciting  trips  to 
take,  especially  if  you  are  on  the  lookout  to  see  what  fine 
things  you  can  discover  in  the  faiths  of  these  different 
peoples,  and  just  how  you  think  they  most  need  help  in 
order  to  understand  citizenship  in  God's  kingdom. 

Here  are  other  trips.   The  early  Christians  were  some- 


98  CITIZEN,  JR. 

times  persecuted  and  even  put  to  death,  as  you  probably 
know,  under  the  authority  of  the  Roman  emperors.  In 
order  to  be  sure  that  you  realize  just  where  those  rulers 
had  their  capital,  look  up  the  location  of  the  city  of  Rome 
in  modern  Italy.  Point  it  out  on  your  world  map.  Per- 
haps, too,  you  can  find  pictures  of  the  Coliseum,  the 
building  where  so  many  Christians  met  death  rather  than 
give  up  or  deny  their  faith. 

In  this  land  of  ours  you  do  not  know  anything  of  such 
severe  tests  of  faith  and  loyalty,  but  there  are  countries 
in  this  modern  world  where  people  have  been  both  per- 
secuted and  slaughtered  because  they  were  Christians. 
Those  people  are  the  Armenians  and  the  Koreans.  Look 
up  their  countries  and  then  look  at  your  little  world  maps 
and  see  exactly  where  these  people  have  lived. 

Because  the  Armenians  live  in  the  part  of  the  world 
where  the  Bible  lands  were,  you  may  want  to  make  some 
careful  trips  to  those  regions  in  order  to  find  out  more 
about  customs  there,  both  past  and  present.  There  were 
several  Bible  lands.  You  know  which  way  to  go  and 
where  to  find  Syria,  Armenia,  Turkey,  Egypt,  Greece, 
and  Rom^e,  so  here  are  some  questions  to  test  your  world 
knowledge  and  initiative.  What  is  the  condition  of  the 
people,  especially  the  children  there,  in  the  ^^Near  East" 
since  the  World  War?  Try  to  discover  whether  faulty 
world  citizenship  on  the  part  of  other  countries  is  partly 
responsible  for  this  state  of  things.  For  example,  what 
was  wrong  with  the  world  citizenship  of  Turkey?  Did 
religion  have  anything  to  do  with  its  action?  What  did 
Great  Britain  do  that  allowed  the  Turks  a  chance  to 
continue  to  murder  the  Armenians  wholesale?  What 
share  had  Germany  in  the  affair?  Did  the  United  States 
have  a  chance  to  help  after  the  World  War?  What  was 
its  answer? 


AEROPLANE  SERVICE  99 

You  might  also  find  about  the  Jews  and  their  return  to 
Palestine  and  what  American  Jews  think  about  this 
Zionist  movement,  as  it  is  called. 

See  what  missions  and  missionaries  you  can  find  out 
about  that  are  at  work  in  Bible  lands.  You  may  discover 
something  about  Robert  College  where  so  many  Ameri- 
can college  students  have  gone  to  serve  for  a  period  of 
years  just  after  finishing  their  own  college  work. 

If  you  were  talking  with  a  Syrian  or  a  Turk,  in  regard 
to  religion,  what  would  you  expect  him  to  believe?  How 
would  his  ideas  dififer  from  yours? 

You  might  also  make  trips  to  find  out  about  famous 
people  who  have  lived  there.  You  may  perhaps  have 
realized  that  Jesus  and  John  and  Peter  and  Paul  were  all 
Jews  who  actually  lived  in  this  part  of  the  world  that  you 
are  reviewing  now.  How  long  ago  was  it  that  they  lived 
there? 

Now,  as  to  some  later  people.  Can  you  find  out  what 
ruler  was  called  "The  Sick  Man  of  Europe"?  The  River 
Nile  was  explored  to  its  source  in  the  heart  of  Africa  by 
a  man  who  first  went  there  to  find  out  what  had  become 
of  a  pioneer  missionary  who  had  gone  into  the  interior 
and  had  not  been  heard  from  for  a  long  time.  Who  was 
the  missionary?  Who  was  the  explorer  who  went  out  to 
find  him?  Are  you  glad  that  it  was  an  American  news- 
paper, the  New  York  Herald,  that  sent  him  out?  Who 
was  the  British  general  who  conquered  Palestine  in  the 
World  War  and  rode  in  triumph  into  Jerusalem?  See  if 
you  can  find  out  about  the  railroad  that  he  built  across 
the  desert  from  Egypt  to  Palestine. 

These  things  will  none  of  them  be  hard  to  dis- 
cover if  you  try  just  a  little,  and,  besides,  by  asking 
other  people  questions,  you  know,  perhaps  you  can  get 
them  to  take  some  aeroplane  trips  with  you  for  world- 


loo  CITIZEN,  JR. 

citizenship  information.  And  that  will  be  a  bit  of 
world  service. 

Are  you  game  for  some  more  things  to  hunt  up,  this 
time  about  missions?  You  know  you  can  report  on  them 
either  now  or  later. 

First,  here  is  a  paragraph  from  a  magazine  called 
"Missions,"  that  may  interest  you,  especially  if  you  have 
been  contributing  money  for  missionary  enterprises. 

DO  YOU   WEAR  A   CHURCH? 

A  missionary  at  home  on  furlough  was  invited  to  din- 
ner at  a  great  summer  resort,  where  he  saw  and  met 
many  people  of  prominence.  After  dinner  he  went  to 
his  room  and  wrote  a  letter  to  his  wife.     **Dear  Wife: 

I've  had  dinner  at  the  great  Hotel .     The  company 

was  wonderful.  I  saw  strange  things.  Many  women 
were  present.  There  were  some  who  wore  to  my  certain 
knowledge  one  church,  forty  cottage  organs,  and  twenty 
libraries." 

Churches  and  cottage  organs  and  libraries  are  not  the 
only  kinds  of  invisible  ornaments  that  a  world  citizen 
may  wear.  Think  of  the  different  sorts  of  missionary 
activities  there  are. 

Medical  missions.  This  means  hospitals,  doctors, 
nurses,  and  all  kinds  of  equipment  for  which  money  is 
needed  and  given.  This  sentence  from  a  book  for  older 
people  will  give  you  an  idea  of  the  world- citizenship  value 
of  these  things.  "As  we  face  the  tasks  of  strengthening 
the  sense  of  brotherhood  between  great  continents  it  is 
evident  that  the  medical  missionary  will  continue  to  be 
one  of  the  most  helpful  and  influential  forces."  This  is 
meant  in  still  another  sense  from  the  world  interest 
brought  about  by  the  explorer  who  went  to  find  a  medical 
missionary  in  Africa. 


AEROPLANE  SERVICE  loi 

Schools  and  colleges.  Day  schools  with  Christian 
teachers  and  Christian  ideals — do  you  think  these  are  a 
help  toward  an  understanding  and  realization  of  world 
brotherhood  and  kingdom  citizenship?  How  about  the 
influence  that  will  result  in  homes  from  which  the  pupils 
come?  Normal  schools.  Think  about  these  schools  for 
native  teachers.  Who  understands  native  children  better, 
a  native  or  a  foreigner?  Then  if  five  foreign  teachers  can 
train  from  twenty  to  fifty  native  teachers  in  a  few  years' 
time,  and  each  native  teacher  can  train  fifty  boys  and 
girls  that  a  foreign  teacher  would  not  reach,  how  much 
will  the  gain  be?  Do  you  think  the  figures  should  be 
larger,  for  a  lifetime  of  work?  Is  this  a  quality  of  world- 
citizenship  planning  that  will  produce  results  faster  than 
if  all  foreign  teachers  had  to  be  sent  out,  then  to  learn  the 
language  and  begin  to  understand  the  people  and  become 
acquainted  with  the  customs  and  thinking  of  the  country? 
Or  suppose  native  teachers  had  to  be  sent  over  here  to 
be  trained — all  of  them.  What  would  make  their  progress 
slow  and  delay  the  work  of  teaching  the  children? 
Colleges.  How  many  reasons  can  you  think  of  why  Chris- 
tian colleges  are  needed  and  are  of  value?  Why  not  let 
the  Christian  students  go  to  non-Christian  universities 
or  come  to  this  country  instead?  Agricultural  schools.  In 
India  there  have  been  devastating  famines  for  centuries. 
Millions  have  suffered  and  died  for  lack  of  food.  Immense 
sums  have  been  collected  in  Christian  countries  to  pay  for 
food  to  keep  the  people  alive.  The  old  methods  of  farm- 
ing were  such  that  famines  could  not  be  avoided,  but 
there  is  a  Christian  agricultural  school  which  has  been 
proving  that,  by  introducing  modern  farm  machinery  and 
methods,  crops  can  be  raised  in  ways  to  avoid  famine. 
In  how  many  ways  does  this  help  world  citizenship?  In 
other  countries,  China,  for  instance,  different  fruits  such 


I02  CITIZEN,  JR. 

as  apples  have  been  introduced  by  missionaries  and  have 
become  a  source  of  profit  to  the  regions  where  they  are 
grown.  If  forest  trees  could  be  set  out  on  a  large  scale, 
through  the  influence  of  agricultural  schools,  the  rainfall 
in  China  could  be  greatly  controlled,  the  scientists  say, 
and  this  would  help  to  prevent  both  floods  and  famines. 
What  do  you  think  of  the  need  of  this  kind  of  world 
helpfulness  from  mission  schools? 

Closing 

There  have  been  times  through  the  centuries  when 
people  of  Christian  nations  tried  to  conquer  other  nations 
and  compel  them  to  accept  Christianity.  * 'Crusades"  of 
warriors,  and  even  of  children,  started  from  Europe  to 
conquer  the  Holy  Land  from  the  infidels,  as  they  called 
the  Turks.  Contrast  these  mistaken  attempts  with  the 
loving  spirit  of  ministers  and  teachers  and  other  Chris- 
tian workers  who  now  give  themselves  to  help  and  instruct 
and  heal  the  nations  of  the  world.  As  you  think  of  these 
things  you  may  like  to  memorize  two  stanzas  from  one 
of  Longfellow*s  poems.  The  word  "corselet"  that  he  uses 
is  the  name  of  part  of  the  armor  worn  by  the  crusaders. 

"Cross  against  corselet, 
Love  against  hatred, 
Peace  cry  for  war  cry, 
Patience  is  powerful. 
He  that  o'ercometh 
Hath  power  o'er  the  nations. 

"Stronger  than  steel 
Is  the  sword  of  the  Spirit. 
Swifter  than  arrows 
The  Light  of  the  truth  is. 
Greater  than  Anger 
Is  Love  and  subdueth." 


AEROPLANE  SERVICE  103 

Perhaps  your  class  can  prepare  and  give  a  missionary 
play  to  interest  people  and  to  earn  money  to  give  for 
missions. 

Perhaps  by  the  end  of  the  citizenship  course  of  lessons 
you  can  have  arranged  a  missionary  exhibit  that  will 
interest  not  only  your  class  and  its  friends  but  the  school 
and  church  and  community  as  well. 

You  may  like  to  write  a  short  biography  of  some  famous 
missionary  like  John  G.  Paton,  who  transformed  the  can- 
nibals of  the  New  Hebrides  Islands.  Any  missionary 
biography  that  you  report  in  class  or  that  you  write  up  in 
your  notebook  creditably  should  entitle  you  to  a  symbol 
picture. 

So,  too,  will  a  good  report  of  any  missionary  trip  on 
your  world-service  aeroplane. 

How  many  ways  now,  can  you  obey  the  directions  that 
Jesus  gave  to  his  disciples — '*Go  ye  into  all  the  world"? 


SUNLIGHT  LIVING' 


GROUP  VIII 

Lessons  15  and  16 

SUNLIGHT  LIVING 

In  this  group  of  lessons, 
^'Old  FaithfuF'  and  "The  Com- 
ing of  the  Sun,"  we  are  going  to 
look  for  two  ways  to  help. 
After  you  have  finished  the 
lessons  you  will  understand  why 
the  symbol  is  a  rising  sun.  You 
can  watch  as  you  go  along  to 
see  why  the  symbol  is  a  good 
one  for  the  work  you  do  in  prac- 
ticing the  lessons.  Since  we  are 
at  work  learning  about  helping, 
we  take  as  our  watchword  for 


this  group,  **Count  on  Me." 


LESSON  15 
"OLD  FAITHFUL" 

Do  you  remember  about  the  geyser  in  Yellowstone 
National  Park,  that  is  called  Old  Faithful,  and  do  you 
recall  the  reason  for  its  name?  People  for  years  and  years 
have  been  visiting  it  because  it  is  so  regular  in  the  time 
of  its  appearing.  If  you  do  not  know  about  it,  you  will 
enjoy  looking  it  up  and  finding  a  picture  of  the  geyser  in 
action,  for  it  looks  like  an  immense,  beautiful  fountain. 
If  you  find  it,  you  might  bring  it  to  class,  if  you  can. 

The  reason  for  its  name  may  help  you  to  guess  what  we 

104 


SUNLIGHT  LIVING  105 

are  going  to  study  about  in  this  lesson.  Do  you  see  why 
the  action  of  this  geyser  can  remind  you  of  a  citizen  who 
can  be  counted  on?  Here  is  a  big  word — ''dependability" 
— that  older  people  use  to  express  the  idea.  Suppose  you 
cut  the  word  in  two,  this  way,  ''depend"  and  "ability," 
to  see  if  you  can  guess  at  its  meaning.  You  may  find 
something  interesting  too  if  you  will  consult  one  of  the 
big  dictionaries  that  have  several  volumes,  and  see  what 
"depend"  meant  in  the  language  from  which  we  borrowed 
it.  Or  you  might  ask  somebody  who  has  been  studying 
Latin.  Such  a  person  should  be  able  to  tell  you  in  a 
minute. 

The  second  part  that  we  cut  from  the  big  word  gives 
away  its  meaning,  of  course,  because  it  is  so  much  like 
the  httle  everyday  word  "able."  So  if  we  fit  the  two  ideas 
together,  we  find  that  they  give  us  the  picture  of  hanging 
securely  from  something — like  a  swing  tied  to  the  limb 
of  a  tree,  or  a  painter's  platform  hung  by  hooks  and  ropes 
from  a  roof,  or  like  a  monkey  hanging  by  his  tail.  In  each 
case  there  is  security  as  long  as  the  support  holds.  If  it 
breaks,  there  may  be  disaster.  Now,  dependable  persons 
are  the  sort  upon  whom  things  may  be  hung  with  security. 
They  will  not  let  us  down  with  a  bump.  We  can  be  sure 
of  them;  can  count  on  them. 

Talking  of  monkeys  and  of  dependability  in  people 
suggests  a  story  which  shows  in  monkey  parable  what 
people  are  like  who  are  not  dependable.  Do  you  remem- 
ber the  Bandar-Log,  or  Monkey  People  in  Kipling's 
Jungle  Book?  Look  up  the  descriptions  of  them  in  the 
story  of  "Kaa's  Hunting,"  where  it  tells  how  they  begin 
a  thing  and  drop  it  and  how  they  are  always  going  to  do 
something  big  but  never  doing  it.  You  will  find  it  funny 
to  see  how  much  like  some  folks  they  are.  After  you  have 
read  about  them  you  might  make  a  list  of  the  ways  in 


io6  CITIZEN,  JR. 

which  they  showed  their  lack  of  dependability  as  people 
do. 

How  about  you?  Are  you  ever  a  Bandar-Log?  When 
you  begin  a  job  can  you  be  depended  on  to  finish  it 
thoroughly?  Or  do  you  drop  it  like  a  half-grown  apple 
that  falls  from  a  tree?  If  you  promise  to  do  a  thing,  can 
people  depend  on  your  work  or  do  you  let  them  down 
with  a  jolt,  as  if  they  were  in  a  swing  hung  from  a  rotten 
branch?  If  you  are  told  to  do  something,  do  you  pretend 
to  obey,  as  the  unreliable  son  did  in  the  parable  that  we 
studied,  or  can  folks  rely  on  your  word?  If  you  are  sent 
to  the  store  to  buy  something  and  find  that  it  costs  ten 
cents  less  than  you  expected,  do  you  keep  the  change  or 
do  you  return  it  to  the  person  who  sent  you?  Can  people 
count  on  you  to  be  strictly  honest,  as  honest  with  their 
money  as  you  would  want  them  to  be  with  yours? 

If  a  boy  or  girl  does  the  Bandar-Log  thing,  is  it  ^^baby" 
living  or  the  true  citizen  kind?  Look  over  the  list  you 
made  and  the  questions  you  have  just  been  answering, 
and  see  what  you  think  it  is. 

Next  take  the  telescope  of  your  imagination  and  see 
the  Bandar-Log  boys  and  girls  as  grown-up  citizens.  If 
they  keep  up  the  same  kind  of  habits,  what  sort  of  citizens 
will  they  be?  Would  you  want  to  have  to  trust  things 
with  them?  Do  you  think  it  is  worth  the  effort  of  training 
in  habits  of  dependable  living,  to  avoid  your  becoming 
low-grade  citizens  such  as  these? 

There  are  many  ways  in  which  a  citizen  can  train  for 
dependability.  Here  are  a  few  suggestions  about  some  of 
them. 

Remembering: 

If  somebody  gives  you  a  message  to  deliver,  can  you 
repeat  it  accurately?  How  many  times  do  you  need  to 
have  it  told  to  you  before  you  can  remember  it  perfectly? 


SUNLIGHT  LIVING  107 

When  you  have  learned  your  lessons  do  you  remember 
them  well  because  you  have  thought  them  out,  or  do  you 
forget  quickly  what  you  have  studied? 

Do  you  see  why  "cramming"  is  unwise  and  injurious 
to  you? 

Observing: 

When  something  interesting  has  happened  can  you  tell 
afterward  exactly  what  you  saw?  Are  you  so  accurate  in 
noticing  details  that  people  can  refer  to  you  if  they  are 
uncertain  about  them,  and  be  sure  of  a  correct  answer 
from  you? 

Along  the  way  to  school,  or  when  you  are  walking 
along  a  street  do  you  notice  interesting  things  or  do  you 
drift  along  dreaming  about  something? 

Quality  Work: 

Do  you  work  so  well  that  people  feel  sure  that  if  you 
are  given  something  to  do  it  will  be  done  excellently? 
Are  you  building  a  fine  reputation  for  the  quality  of  your 
work  at  home  and  in  school? 

Trustworthiness: 

When  your  teacher  is  called  out  of  the  classroom,  do 
you  and  the  others  behave  as  nicely  as  when  she  is  there? 
Can  you  be  depended  on  to  manage  yourselves? 

Loyalty: 

Do  your  friends  feel  that  they  can  depend  on  you  or 
do  they  have  to  reckon  with  moods  and  fickleness?  Do 
you  champion  the  best  in  them? 

Character  Decisions: 

Can  people  say  of  you  that  they  can  rely  always  on 
your  doing  the  thing  that  you  know  is  right? 

Questions 
How  do  child  experiences  make  a  difference  in  the  senior 
citizenship  of  dependable  folks? 


io8  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Do  you  see  any  connection  between  dependability  and 
playing  fair?   If  so,  what  is  it? 

After  you  have  practiced  in  your  everyday  decisions  for 
a  week  count  up  and  see  how  many  times  you  have  been 
like  Old  Faithful  and  how  many  times  a  Bandar-Log. 
Which  brought  the  more  satisfying  results? 

How  many  ways  can  you  think  of  in  which  Junior 
Citizens  could  train  for  dependability?    Make  a  list. 

Do  you  think  it  is  rather  hard  to  keep  **choosing"  as  you 
know  that  your  citizenship  requires?  You  will  find  it 
easier,  the  longer  you  practice,  especially  if  you  keep 
wanting  the  thing  that  is  **best.*'  Here  are  some  verses 
that  you  can  memorize.  If  you  study  them  carefully 
and  think  about  what  they  say  you  will  find  a  hidden 
meaning  there  that  will  help  you  to  put  the  glow  of 
sunlight  into  what  has  seemed  so  hard.  Here  is  a  hint 
to  help  you  fimd  this  second  meaning: — ^What  does  the 
Sun  represent  for  you? 

The  verses  were  written  by  Sidney  Lanier,  one  of  our 
American  poets,  who  faced  hard  things  bravely: 

"Old  Want  is  awake  and  agog,  every  wrinkle  a-frown; 
The  Worker  must  pass  to  his  work  in  the  terrible  town; 
But  I  fear  not,  nay,  and  I  fear  not  the  thing  to  be  done; 

I  am  strong  with  the  strength  of  my  lord  the  Sun; 
How  dark,  how  dark  soever  the  race  that  must  needs 
be  run, 

I  am  lit  with  the  Sun."  ^ 


LESSON    16 
THE  COMING  OF  THE  SUN 

The  poet  who  faced  his  day  "lit  with  the  Sun"  wrote 
this  description  of  a  person  who  belongs  with  these  lessons 
of  ours  about  '^Sunlight  Living." 

1  "From  "Sunrise."     Used  by  permission  of  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 


SUNLIGHT  LIVING  109 

"...  walking  midway  of  the  street, 
As  she  had  just  stepped  forth  from  out  the  gate 
Of  the  very,  very  heaven  where  God  is, 
Still  glittering  with  the  God-shine  on  her.**  ^ 

Imagine  what  a  wonderful  thing  it  would  be  to  have 
such  a  God-shine  about  us  that  people  walking  along  the 
street  would  feel  as  if  we  had  just  been  with  God  himself. 
Yet  as  you  think  of  things  you  have  already  studied,  is 
this  anything  more  than  a  true  citizen  may  hope  to  do? 
The  lesson  that  begins  now  is  to  help  you  to  find  ways  of 
becoming  this  kind  of  citizen. 

The  first  part  of  the  lesson  will  be  about  the  every- 
morning  coming  of  the  sun,  and  the  second  about  the 
shining  that  comes  when  the  sun  breaks  through  the 
clouds  after  a  time  of  unpleasant  weather. 

What  the  everyday  presence  of  the  sun  means  to  us 
is  like  the  effect  of  a  happy,  good-natured,  "sunshiny," 
smiling  citizen  of  course.  And  the  sunlight  coming  after 
gray  clouds  or  storm,  corresponds  to  what  happens  when 
we  find  fun  for  ourselves  or  for  other  people  no  matter 
how  hard  or  disagreeable  things  may  seem  to  be.  After 
we  think  a  while  about  all  of  this  we  shall  be  able  to  see 
very  plainly  some  ways  in  which  citizens  can  help. 

The  sun  is  one  of  the  dependable  things  that  we  know 
about  best.  Day  after  day  it  gives  us  its  light  after  the 
hours  of  darkness.  And,  besides,  even  the  light  of  the 
moon  is  a  reflection  of  sunlight,  you  know.  Even  on  the 
days  when  we  cannot  see  the  sun  because  of  clouds  or  rain 
or  snow  we  know  that  it  is  there  by  the  presence  of  the 
daylight.  When  the  day  is  clear  and  the  sky  is  blue 
everybody  is  happy  because  of  the  sunshine. 

Of  course  you  know  what  a  sunny  citizen  is — the 

1  "The  Jacquerie,"  by  Sidney  Lanier.     Used  by  permission  of  Charles  Scrib- 
ner'sSons. 


no  CITIZEN,  JR. 

happy,  good-natured  kind  that  everybody  is  so  glad  to 
have  around,  the  sort  that  always  makes  you  feel  better 
and  makes  you  want  to  smile  and  have  a  good  time.  If 
you  are  not  sure  why  we  call  such  people  "sunny,"  watch 
a  smile  as  it  comes  and  see  if  it  isn^t  like  sunshine. 

Now,  let  us  think  about  smiles  awhile.  Did  you  know 
that  there  are  other  kinds  than  the  ones  on  the  face?  We 
can  talk  about  at  least  three  others.  Then  perhaps  you 
can  think  of  more. 

Maybe  you  know  about  the  little  signs  that  a  big  city 
telephone  company  sent  out  for  its  patrons  to  tack  up 
where  they  would  be  seen.  The  little  cards  read,  "The 
voice  with  the  smile  wins."  So  you  see,  thousands  of 
people  began  to  know  that  there  is  a  smile  in  a  pleasant 
voice.  Do  you?  How  does  it  work  out?  And  why  does 
such  a  voice  win?  Do  you  think  that  a  citizen  can  learn 
to  use  such  a  smiling  voice?  Does  yours  smile?  What 
difference  do  you  think  it  would  make  if  your  voice  never 
had  any  unpleasant,  disagreeable  sound  because  you 
never  had  anything  but  a  shine  inside?  How  many  people 
do  you  think  of  who  would  have  had  a  sunshiny  feeling 
instead  of  an  unpleasant  one  if  your  voice  had  smiled  all 
through  yesterday  and  to-day?   Count  up. 

Do  you  know  that  words  can  smile?  It  depends  on  how 
you  put  them  together,  whether  they  do  or  not.  You  can 
say  a  thing  in  a  rough  way,  "I  want  some,"  or  in  a  pleas- 
ing, gracious  way,  "Please  give  me  some."  Practice  a  bit 
for  the  sunny  way,  the  smile  that  brings  another  smile. 
You  can  have  lots  of  fun  with  it,  for  you  can  help  un- 
comfortable people  and  even  transform  disagreeable  ones 
when  you  find  out  how  to  use  the  words  with  a  smile  in 
them.  If  a  book  agent  came  to  the  door,  how  would  you 
say  in  a  way  that  would  be  friendly  but  final,  that  your 
mother  does  not  want  a  book? 


SUNLIGHT  LIVING  iii 

And  how  about  the  smile  of  pleasant  manners?  Do  you 
think  it  is  really  worth  anything?  Of  course  not  the  kind 
that  say  all  over  that  they  are  a  counterfeit,  but  the  real, 
genuine,  pleasant  way  of  living  graciously  with  people 
because  of  the  kindly  shining  that  we  have  within  our- 
selves and  feel  toward  them.  Not  "being  nice  just  to  be 
nice,  but  because  we  are  nice/' 

Now  we  are  ready  to  think  about  the  citizenship  that 
is  like  the  sun  when  it  comes  out  from  behind  the  clouds. 
Everybody  feels  happy  when  stormy,  gloomy  weather  is 
past.  We  are  happy  because  of  the  beauty  and  joy  that 
the  sunshine  brings.  Sometimes  we  find  bits  of  shining 
in  unexpected  places.  One  Junior  discovered  it  in  the 
mud-puddles  along  the  way  to  school.  Have  you  ever 
happened  to  see  how  they  shine  when  the  light  on  them 
is  just  right?  They  have  a  glory  that  is  a  surprise.  It 
made  the  Junior  think  of  i  Corinthians  15:49.  Look  it 
up  and  you  will  see.  Muddy  water,  like  the  earthy; 
shining  beauty,  like  the  heaven  world. 

Does  this  remind  you  at  all  of  something  that  happened 
once  when  Jesus  was  praying?  See  Luke  9:  28-32.  As 
you  think  of  it  you  may  like  to  know  about  something 
written  about  Jesus  by  a  woman  who  makes  some  of  our 
finest  poetry.  Her  name  is  Sara  Teasdale.  She  was 
writing  in  prose,  this  time,  in  a  magazine  for  grown  peo- 
ple, telling  about  "The  Carpenter's  Son."  In  it  she  put 
this  unusual  sentence,  which  is  more  wonderful  the  longer 
you  think  of  it:  "Here  was  a  man,  incandescent  with  the 
Spirit  of  God  as  no  man  ever  had  been  before.''  Think 
about  it  carefully:  "incandescent" — like  the  shining  of 
the  fiber  in  the  gas  mantles,  or  of  the  filmy  wires  in 
electric-light  bulbs;  both  dull  things  that  are  made  to 
glow  and  shine  like  sunlight.  A  body  that  shone  with  the 
glory  of  God! 


112  CITIZEN,  JR. 

This  glory  was  especially  plain  at  the  time  about  which 
you  were  reading,  when  Jesus  was  "transfigured"  in  the 
presence  of  Peter  and  James  and  John.  Perhaps  you  are 
wondering  what  all  this  has  to  do  with  Junior  Citizens. 
Maybe  you  think  that  it  was  just  something  that  hap- 
pened to  Jesus  then  and  that  nobody  else  can  share  it. 
But  think  back  to  Lesson  2,  where  we  found  that  every 
one  of  us  lives  with  a  life  that  comes  from  God.  Think  of 
the  mud-puddles  showing  a  glory  like  the  heaven  world 
above  them;  and  then  think  of  the  most  glorious  smile 
that  you  ever  saw.  Wasn't  it  truly  a  bit  of  the  glory  of 
God?  Wasn't  that  person's  face  iUumined  like  the  incan- 
descent fibers  of  the  lights?  Then  is  there  any  reason 
why  your  face  should  not  shine,  as  well? 

Now,  what  about  a  citizen  who  keeps  cheery  and  good- 
natured  and  smiling  even  though  things  are  disagreeable 
and  hard.  Perhaps  you  are  wondering  how  you  can  be 
good  natured  and  sunny  when  things  are  hard  and  you 
are  cross  and  cranky  inside.  Those  are  the  practice  times 
when  we  have  to  look  carefully  and  "choose"  whether  we 
really  want  more  to  be  cross  or  to  live  out  the  glory  of 
God.  It  is  really  an  "adventure"  to  do  it;  to  choose  to 
be  like  the  sun  because  you  really  want  more  than  any- 
thing else  to  be  like  God.  You  may  not  always  succeed  at 
first  in  looking  squarely  at  your  decision;  but  it  is  a  habit 
that  can  grow  and  be  perfected. 

Just  as  an  illustration  of  how  it  can  be  done  let  us 
suppose  that  you  want  to  find  some  inside  sunlight  on  a 
rainy  day.  Well,  you  can  see  the  splashes  of  the  rain,  and 
listen  to  its  singing.  You  can  sing  a  tune  to  yourself  as 
you  march  along  the  pavement  to  school,  and  your  feet 
will  keep  time  pleasantly.  You  can  watch  the  water 
running  along  the  gutters,  and  imagine  that  it  is  a  river 
and  that  the  pieces  of  waste  and  chips  are  boats  carrying 


SUNLIGHT  LIVING 


113 


goods  to  a  faraway  place.  You  know  all  about  that  of 
course.  But  perhaps  you  never  have  noticed  the  me- 
nagerie town  in  the  wet  pavements  when  the  buildings 
show  upside  down  and  people  are  stretched  out  until  they 
look  like  camels  and  giraffes.  Sometimes  the  pavement 
becomes  a  flower  garden  as  you  see  the  reflection  of  little 
children's  pink  or  blue  or  red  coats,  or  their  yellow 
sweaters.  And  then  there  is  the  lovely  shining  of  the 
water  to  watch  for  on  the  pavements,  till  you  see  the  dull 
sidewalk  transfigured  before  you. 

As  you  go  along  full  of  happy  thoughts  like  these  may- 
be you'll  meet  a  grouchy  person;  somebody  that  you 
know.  Then  you  can  have  a  heap  of  fun  watching  how 
the  sun  will  come  out  in  him  if  you  give  a  cheery  saluta- 
tion or  show  him  some  of  your  fun  or  even  just  smile  at 
him.  If  you  have  never  laughed  your  way  through  a  rainy 
day,  you  don't  know  how  much  fun  you  have  missed  in 
seeing  the  sun  come  out  from  behind  the  clouds  on  peo- 
ple's faces.  But  you  have  to  laugh  from  inside  you — not 
just  to  make  them  laugh — if  you  want  the  sun  to  come 
out  really. 

There  are  lots  of  other  places  where  laughing  helps. 
Watch  some  time  and  see  when  people  are  crowding  to  get 
on  a  street  car  or  to  reach  a  bargain  counter,  or  when 
something  else  makes  them  jam  together  and  push. 
Perhaps  some  folks  get  "mad"  and  others,  scared.  Then 
maybe  somebody  takes  it  aU  as  a  joke  and  laughs.  The 
rest  begin  to  look  around,  and  pretty  soon  more  smile 
until  what  seemed  so  ugly  disappears.  Or,  perhaps  it 
may  be  when  folks  are  coming  home  from  a  picnic  and 
are  feeling  cross  and  tired.  If  somebody  comes  up,  smiling 
and  good-natured,  and  tells  a  funny  story,  everybody 
gets  to  laughing,  and  pretty  soon  they  aU  feel  better.  You 
see  how  well  such  a  person  is  doing  "sunlight  living." 


114  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Special  Work 

See  if  you  can  find  an  account  of  President  Lincoln  and 

his  funny  stories  that  he  used  to  make  things  easier  for 

himself  and  for  other  people  when  they  all  had  so  much 

to  endure. 
Make  a  personal  *  Veather  report"  for  a  week  and  see  how 

many  times  you  can  put  down  stmshine  living  of  one 

kind  or  another. 
Here  is  a  bit  of  verse  by  our  poet  Longfellow.    Perhaps  if 

you  memorize  it,  it  will  help  you  to  remember  what  you 

are  learning  in  these  lessons. 

**And  that  smile,  like  sunshine  dart 
Into  many  a  sunless  heart, 
For  a  smile  of  God  thou  art.*' 


GROUP  IX 


'WHITE  SHINING" 


Lessons  17  and  18 

THE  PATH  OF  WHITE  SHINING 

If  you  have  ever  seen  the  re- 
flection of  the  moonlight  on  the 
water  you  will  very  quickly 
understand  why  the  Indians 
have  called  it  "The  Path  of 
White  Shining.''  If  you  never 
have  seen  it,  nor  the  shining  of 
the  sun  on  the  sea  or  the  lake, 
you  have  seen  pictures  of  it 
surely.  And  you  may  have 
noticed  the  reflections  of  lights 
on  the  water  in  the  river,  and 
the  gold  and  silver  glimmer  of 
lights  reflected  in  wet  pavements  on  rainy  nights.  You 
always  find  it  when  you  are  looking  toward  a  light, 
whether  it  is  sun  or  moon  or  star  or  city  light. 

Some  years  ago  a  person  who  was  watching  the  moon- 
light on  the  ocean  thought  that  this  path  of  white  shining 
seemed  to  show  that  all  water  remembers  the  time  when 
Jesus  walked  upon  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  that  whenever 
a  light  shines  upon  water,  anywhere,  the  bright  pathway 
of  his  steps  is  revealed  for  men  to  see. 

This  shining  pathway  is  straight  and  clear.  Unlike  the 
paths  in  the  woods  and  the  fields  it  does  not  wind  and 
wander.  Because  of  this  and  because  of  its  beauty,  and 
because  of  its  poetic  reminder  of  the  glory  of  Jesus'  life, 
we  are  going  to  take  the  Indian  "Path  of  White  Shining" 

115 


ii6  CITIZEN,  JR. 

for  our  symbol  during  these  two  lessons.  It  will  represent 
the  use  of  words  that  leaves  a  beautiful  record  in  ourselves 
and  in  other  people. 

Some  folks  have  vagabond  tongues,  wandering  away 
from  speech  that  is  well  chosen.  They  say  things  and  use 
words  that  belong  to  a  go-as-you-please  living  that  is  like 
the  wandering  woodland  paths. 

Perhaps  you  never  thought  that  choosing  has  anything 
special  to  do  with  the  way  that  you  talk,  and  with  what 
other  people  say,  yet  it  is  true.  So,  for  these  lessons, 
maybe  you  will  like  to  have  as  your  everyday  slogan 
something  about  your  speech.   'Watch  Your  Words." 

LESSON  17 
DUNCE-CAP  TALK 

One  of  the  ways  in  which  the  tongues  of  boys  and  girls 
act  like  vagabonds  is  in  the  use  of  talk  that  is  cheap.  This 
means  the  teUing  of  nasty  stories,  swearing,  unkind  re- 
marks and  the  different  kinds  of  lies.  A  lot  of  wanderings! 
Of  course  you  know  that  such  things  are  not  right,  and 
you  know  the  citizenship  rules,  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in 
heart,"  and  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord 
thy  God  in  vain,"  but  perhaps  we  can  discover  some  new 
meanings  in  them  as  we  study. 

The  next  time  you  hear  somebody  telling  a  story  or 
saying  something  that  is  not  nice,  suppose  you  stop  and 
see  why.  Although  some  people  may  seem  to  have 
minds  that  have  been  poisoned,  see  if  it  isn't  usually  just 
a  cheap  way  of  attracting  attention  to  themselves  that 
makes  them  do  it.  They  think  it  is  smart,  or  very 
"knowing"  perhaps,  and  they  want  to  seem  unusual — 
just  a  little  different  from  other  folks.  Or  they  may  be 
trying  to  "shock"  the  people  who  hear  them;  they  want 


THE  PATH  OF  WHITE  SHINING      117 

to  make  a  sensation.  They  expect  that  folks  will  be 
horrified  and  say  how  bad  they  are,  and  so,  pay  a  lot 
more  attention  to  them.  They  get  attention  all  right, 
but  do  not  realize  that  it  is  the  sort  they  would  receive 
if  they  dumped  the  garbage  can  on  the  front  steps  when 
they  had  invited  people  to  a  party  and  saw  them 
coming. 

Sometimes  they  are  trying  to  make  a  laugh.  They 
want  to  attract  attention  by  being  what  they  think  is 
funny,  not  realizing  how  pitifully  cheap  their  kind  of 
fun  is.  They  would  not  think  of  going  to  a  party  with- 
out a  necktie,  with  shoes  unlaced  and  trousers  torn,  nor 
with  their  hair  in  curlers,  nor  wearing  dirty  working 
clothes.  These  things  would  shame  them  by  the  kind 
of  "attention"  they  would  attract.  Yet  these  same  poor 
citizens  do  not  see  that  their  smutty  talk  is  just  adver- 
tising them  as  cheap  and  silly  and  of  very  poor  taste, 
the  kind  that  they  will  some  day  be  ashamed  to  own 
as  theirs.  They  do  not  realize  that  it  is  a  pretty  poor 
sort  of  attention  too  that  they  receive  by  showing  that 
their  minds  enjoy  playing  with  dirt. 

Those  who  use  this  cheap  speech  really  do  not  mean  to 
be  as  bad  as  they  sound.  If  you  could  get  them  to  answer 
truly,  they  would  say  that,  of  course,  they  would  rather 
be  good  than  bad,  but  they'd  rather  be  smart,  or  funny, 
or  something  else  that  will  make  people  think  they  are 
different,  and  so  pay  attention  to  them.  Do  you  see  how 
they  wander  in  their  choosing,  and  want  two  things  at 
once?  And  which  sort  of  citizenship  are  they  fooling 
themselves  into? 

Now  that  you  think  of  it,  aren't  these  much  the  same 
reasons  that  people  have  for  swearing?  Perhaps  they 
have  heard  some  mistaken  grown  person  say  these  words, 
just  as  sometimes  they  have  heard  older  people  use  nasty 


ii8  CITIZEN,  JR. 

talk  and  tell  shady  stories.  The  Juniors  want  to  appear 
and  to  feel  "grown  up'';  they  want  to  show  that  they  are 
not  afraid  to  dare  to  do  these  things  that  people  know  are 
wrong.  Sometimes  they  think  it  is  being  smart,  and  they 
want  to  "show  off."  Or  perhaps  they  are  very  angry  and 
want  to  express  all  the  poison  of  the  hatred  they  feel. 
They  do  not  dare  to  strike  nor  to  kill  the  person  against 
whom  they  rage,  so  they  take  this  way  of  doing  it  in 
words.  They  want  pirate  living  instead  of  policing  them- 
selves. You  know  in  what  class  of  citizens  they  belong. 
They  have  themselves  sorted  out  wrong. 

Unkind  talk  too  is  usually  to  make  a  sensation  or  be- 
cause someone  is  angry  or  resentful  or  jealous.  The 
reason  for  it  is  a  selfish  one.  Think  this  over  and  see  if  it 
doesn't  prove  true. 

All  these  folks — those  with  impure  tongues,  those  with 
profane  angry  ones,  and  those  with  unkind  ones — are 
really  to  be  pitied  in  a  way.  Savages  do  many  things  that 
civihzed  people  are  above  doing,  yet  these  people  with 
unfit  speech  are  going  back  as  far  as  they  dare  and  are 
living  on  a  savage  level  instead  of  catching  up  with  the 
rest  or  tiuly  going  ahead  of  them  and  showing  something 
finer  than  has  yet  been  lived.  This  savagery  and  their 
wanting  so  much  to  attract  attention  from  other  people 
is  what  marks  their  living  as  so  cheap  and  inferior.  People 
who  are  very  busy,  just  being  and  doing  their  best,  are 
not  thinking  about  whether  other  folks  are  paying  atten- 
tion to  them  or  not.  They  are  too  busy  with  worthwhile 
things. 

Now,  let  us  go  back  to  the  citizenship  rules.  "Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God."  The  pure- 
hearted  have  one  chief  desire — to  live  the  best,  to  be  as 
clean  and  clear  as  crystal  glass  so  that  God's  life  may  not 
be  tarnished  as  it  shows  through  them.     They  would 


THE  PATH  OF  WHITE  SHINING       119 

as  soon  think  of  rubbing  a  handful  of  soot  over  a  new  white 
suit  and  their  faces  and  hair  as  to  use  or  hear  nasty  words. 
And  not  being  interested  in  such  things,  they  do  not  look 
for  them  in  others.  People  feel  somehow  that  they  are 
the  sort  before  whom  such  speech  should  not  be  used. 
And  so  it  is  the  better  side,  the  more  godlike  part  of  other 
people  that  they  call  out  just  by  being  themselves,  by 
being  pure  in  their  own  hearts. 

What  do  you  think  such  persons  would  do  or  say  if 
someone  used  impure  talk  in  their  presence?  See  if  you 
can  find  a  story  about  what  General  Grant  said  to  a  man 
who  was  going  to  tell  a  nasty  story.  What  can  a  Junior 
Citizen  do  when  others  in  a  crowd  are  using  filthy  talk 
or  saying  something  that  is  only  a  little  shady? 

If  we  really  love  the  Lord  our  God  with  all  our  heart 
and  with  all  our  strength  and  with  all  our  mind,  do  you 
think  we  will  want  to  hear  his  name  used  lightly  and  care- 
lessly or  in  angry  curses?  When  we  have  something 
precious  we  do  not  want  it  carelessly  handled.  As  we 
watch  the  beautiful  path  of  light  on  the  water  on  moonlit 
nights  we  are  disappointed  when  a  big  cloud  comes  up  and 
blots  out  the  radiance. 

What  can  we  do  that  will  really  help  if  someone  does 
these  unworthy  things  in  our  presence?  And  if  the 
temptation  should  come,  because  of  frequently  hearing 
profane  or  ugly  talk,  to  use  it  thoughtlessly  ourselves, 
what  can  we  do  to  prevent  it?  How  can  we  be  sure  of 
quality  citizenship  in  this  that  shall  be  as  lovely  as  the 
shining  pathway  on  the  water? 

Special  Work 

Read  James  3:26  and  discuss  it  in  class. 
Is  it  clever  to  tell  nasty  stories?  Why? 
Is  it  manly  or  smart  to  swear?  Why? 


I20  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Do  you  understand  anything  of  what  the  old  Jewish  say- 
ing means  that  you  find  in  Proverbs  21:  24: 

Whoso  keepeth  his  mouth  and  his  tongue 
Keepeth  his  soul  from  troubles? 

Keep  careful  watch  over  your  speech  during  the  next  week 
to  make  sure  that  your  words  are  all  kind;  that  they 
are  clean ;  that  none  of  your  talk  is  *' cheap,**  The  slogan 
will  help,  "Watch  Your  Words!" 

LESSON  18 
MASKS 

Perhaps  you  like  to  dress  up  on  Halloween  and  wear 
a  mask  so  that  people  will  not  know  who  you  are.  Maybe 
you  have  been  at  a  masquerade  and  had  a  lot  of  fun 
trying  to  guess  who  your  friends  were.  But  with  you  on 
Halloween  and  with  your  friends  at  the  party  the  mask 
wasn't  the  real  person;  it  was  only  a  sham,  a,  false  face. 

Look  up  about  masks  in  the  encyclopedia  and  see  if 
you  can  find  some  pictures  of  the  sort  of  masks  that  the 
actors  used  to  wear  in  the  old  Greek  theaters,  hundreds 
of  years  ago.  There  were  ones  for  each  different  kind  of 
part,  the  comic  and  the  serious.  Wearing  these  as  false 
faces,  the  actors  were  supposed  to  be  other  persons  than 
themselves. 

Have  you  ever  thought  how  lies  are  the  false  faces  that 
people  sometimes  put  on  when  they  wish  to  seem  some- 
thing which  they  are  not?  Although  their  real  selves  are 
God's,  they  are  foolish  enough  to  want  to  hide  behind 
these  masks  for  some  reason  or  other.  They  haven't 
realized  how  silly  it  is  to  try  to  deceive  people,  nor  that 
they  will  be  sure  to  be  found  out. 

These  lying  masks  are  of  different  sorts  and  degrees  of 
meanness  and  of  desire  to  deceive.   Here  is  a  list  of  dif- 


THE  PATH  OF  WHITE  SHINING       121 

ferent  kinds  made  by  some  citizens  who  are  still  growing 
up.   Do  you  wear  any  of  them? 

1.  Boys  and  girls  lie,  sometimes,  just  to  entertain 
themselves  or  the  crowd  by  a  big  story  that  will  be 
exciting.  They  twist  the  facts  of  what  has  happened  so 
as  to  make  them  give  a  different  meaning  or  seem  bigger 
and  more  thrilling.  How  long  will  it  be  before  the  crowd 
will  learn  to  measure  their  trick  and  see  through  it? 
People  like  accurate  facts  and  trustworthiness. 

2.  Lies  are  told  because  people  want  to  appear  bigger 
and  more  important  than  they  are.  They  want  to  seem 
richer,  to  own  more  and  to  be  able  to  do  more  than  they 
really  are.  Do  you  think  that  they  will  fool  folks  very 
long?   Why  not  be  truthful? 

3.  People  lie  sometimes  because  they  want  to  tell  a 
bigger  story  than  somebody  else  has  just  told.  They  are 
not  willing  to  let  anybody  else  have  first  place,  or  be 
ahead  of  them.  Have  you  ever  watched  such  persons 
and  noticed  how  a  flushed  face  and  uneasy  manner  betray 
their  lying  and  why  they  are  doing  it?  Wouldn't  truth 
and  modesty  be  better  than  such  a  picture  as  they  make? 

4.  They  lie  to  excuse  themselves,  sometimes,  when  they 
have  been  caught  in  the  wrong,  or  when  they  are  afraid 
of  being  caught.  This  usually  makes  things  worse  than 
ever,  and  they  tell  more  lies  to  try  to  cover  up  the  ones 
they've  already  told.  And  in  the  end  and  when  all  is 
uncovered  their  shame  is  worse  than  at  first.  The  truth 
would  have  paid,  besides  being  "right." 

5.  They  he  at  times,  because  they  are  angry  with  some- 
one and  they  think  they  can  "get  even"  by  telling  some- 
thing mean  about  them.  This  kind  of  a  lie  acts  like  an 
AustraUan  "boomerang."  It  brings  trouble  back  to  them. 
God's  law  of  love  would  have  protected  them  if  they  had 
protected  others  instead  of  lying  about  them. 


122  CITIZEN,  JR. 

6.  They  sometimes  lie  just  because  they  enjoy  spread- 
ing an  evil  report  about  somebody.  Though  often  the 
other  person  is  innocent,  the  one  who  is  lying  feels  jealous 
because  the  other  is  given  credit  or  position  or  advantages 
that  the  lying  ones  covet.  Even  aside  from  the  wrong  of 
this,  which  is  great  enough,  is  the  injury  that  they  do  to 
themselves.  Wouldn't  saying  something  kind  have 
helped  in  every  way? 

7.  They  lie  sometimes  to  flatter  people,  to  "work" 
them  and  so  gain  some  favor  or  something  they  want. 
When  folks  find  them  out,  as  they  surely  do  in  time,  their 
careful  planning  meets  disaster  and  they  lose  their 
"standing''  with  people.   Honesty  is  best. 

8.  They  lie  for  the  sake  of  trying  to  be  pleasant  and  to 
make  folks  like  them.  This  goes  all  the  way  from  a  false 
but  well-meant  politeness,  to  being  a  thorough  hypocrite. 
When  such  lying  is  continued  even  the  tones  of  people's 
voices  become  insincere  and  betray  them  in  spite  of  them- 
selves.  People  Uke  a  friend  to  be  genuine  and  sincere. 

9.  Folks  lie  because  they  haven't  courage  enough  to 
tell  the  truth  and  face  other  people's  opinions.  Lying 
doesn't  save  them,  though,  for  people  usually  know,  and 
despise  them  as  cowards.  In  the  end  if  they  told  the 
truth,  folks  would  at  least  respect  them  for  it. 

10.  People  lie  in  order  to  try  to  get  out  of  a  difficulty 
or  scrape  that  they  have  been  in.  If  they  realized  what 
they  were  doing  to  themselves,  they  would  shun  the  lies 
and  be  courageously  truthful. 

Such  a  list  as  that  is  all  black  clouds  and  no  white 
shining.  Suppose  you  look  back  over  it  and  see  where  the 
lack  of  true  citizenship  comes  in,  and  where  the  poor 
citizenship  affects  other  people.  Then  as  you  think  things 
over,  point  out  what  would  make  a  path  of  white  shining, 
instead, 


THE  PATH  OF  WHITE  SHINING       123 

Some  of  these  lies  are  the  kinds  that  people  use  only 
once  in  a  while.  The  mask  of  deceit  is  pulled  over  their 
customary  honest  faces  because  of  some  special  thing. 
But  now  and  then  there  are  boys  and  girls  and  men  and 
women,  too,  who  wear  deceitful  masks  so  much  of  the 
time  that  people  come  to  distrust  them  absolutely  no 
matter  what  they  say.  So  strong  has  the  habit  of  lying 
proved  to  be  in  them  that  people  think  of  them  as  fakes 
and  shams.  Suppose  that  you  were  carried  ahead  twenty- 
five  years  and  set  down  where  you  could  see  the  Juniors 
when  they  were  grown  up.  Think  out  ways  in  which 
their  lying  will  hinder  their  fullest  citizenship.  Will  it 
pay,  in  the  end? 

Perhaps  you  yourself  are  tempted  to  lie  for  one  reason 
or  another.  What  can  you  do  to  stop  it?  Do  you  remem- 
ber the  slogan  for  this  group  of  lessons?  Here  is  a  prayer 
that  you  can  use  as  well.  You  will  find  it  in  Psalm  141 : 3. 
"Set  a  watch,  O  Jehovah,  before  my  mouth.  Keep  the 
door  of  my  lips."  Memorize  it  thoroughly  so  that  you 
will  have  it  when  you  need  it.  Here  is  another  verse  that 
you  will  like  and  that  should  be  a  help:  Psalm  34:5. 
"They  looked  unto  him  and  were  radiant;  and  their 
faces  shall  never  be  confounded."  Put  it  alongside  of  the 
citizen  rule  about  lying:  "Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  wit- 
ness against  thy  neighbor."  Does  the  word  "radiant" 
seem  like  a  sort  of  promise  of  the  shining  truth  that  God 
will  give  you  if  you  ask  his  help  to  use  the  citizen  rule? 
Every  time  that  you  are  tempted  to  lie,  ask  yourself 
which  you  really  want,  the  mask  of  deceit,  or  the  truth 
and  honesty  that  shows  a  shining  pathway. 

Work  These  Out 

For  how  many  lessons  of  this  group  can  you  use  the  prayer 
that  is  in  Psalm  51 :  10: 


124  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God; 
And  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me? 

How  do  lies  injtire  good  citizenship? 
As  you  memorize  these  lines  from  Scott,  decide  just  how 
they  apply  to  these  lessons. 

*'0!  many  a  shaft,  at  random  sent. 
Finds  mark  the  archer  little  meant! 
And  many  a  word  at  random  spoken. 
May  soothe  or  wound  a  heart  that's  broken!" 

How  many  times  have  you  seen  a  path  of  white  shining 
in  some  one's  speech  or  conduct  recently? 

How  about  yoin-  own  ?  Have  you  gained  any  points  lately  ? 

How  well  have  you  established  the  habit  to  "Watch  Your 
Words"? 


GROUP  X 

Lessons  19  and  20 

BLUEBIRDS  FOR  HAPPINESS 

The  bluebird  has  become  a 
symbol  of  happiness.  Its  color 
and  song  are  lovely,  but  it  is 
since  people  have  read  the  play 
called  "The  Bluebird"  that  it 
has  come  to  represent  happiness 
to  them.  You  may  have  read 
the  play  or  seen  it  either  on  the 
stage  or  in  the  movies.  In  that 
story  two  children  went  in  search 
of  a  bluebird  which  was  to  bring 
new  life  and  happiness  to  a  little 
neighbor  girl  who  was  sick.  A 
fairy  gave  the  little  boy  a  hat  with  a  diamond  in  it.  When 
the  diamond  was  turned  the  souls  of  the  everyday  things 
—the  walls  of  the  house,  light,  water,  and  fire,  bread  and 
sugar,  and  the  cat  and  the  dog — could  be  seen  and 
understood. 

In  our  next  lessons  we  shall  go  in  search  of  happiness  to 
transform  the  ugly  moods  that  often  come  to  citizens. 
Each  of  you  will  have  a  hat  with  a  diamond  in  it — your 
desire  to  be  a  good  citizen. 
Now  it  is  time  to 

"Turn  Your  Diamond." 


•BLUEBIRDS  FOR 
HAPPINESS" 


125 


126  CITIZEN,  JR. 

LESSON  19 
DOWN  IN  THE  MOUTH 

A  DISCOURAGED  Citizen's  face  isn't  on  straight.  It  is  all 
pulled  out  of  shape.  The  eyes  are  dull  and  look  as  if  the 
tears  would  come  at  any  minute.  And  the  mouth  instead 
of  curving  happily  is  all  pulled  down  at  the  corners.  It  is 
so  sad  and  good-for-nothing  and  discouraged  that  people 
do  not  like  to  see  it  around.  And  the  person  is  the  picture 
of  one  who  hasn't  a  friend  in  the  world  and  who  would 
like  to  "crawl  into  a  hole  and  die,"  as  people  often  say. 
What  is  the  matter? 

Perhaps  he  hasn't  played  fair  with  his  body.  Maybe 
he  was  greedy  and  over  ate.  Maybe  he  hasn't  kept 
cleaned  up  inside.  Maybe  he  hasn't  slept  as  much  as  is 
best;  or  some  other  thing  that  makes  him  all  worn  out 
and  tired  instead  of  full  of  "pep."  If  you  do  not  see  what 
this  has  to  do  with  it,  never  mind.  Just  turn  to  what 
Paul  says  in  i  Corinthians  3:  i6. 

Kjiow  ye  not  that  ye  are  a  temple  of  God,  and 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you? 

In  the  margin  you  will  j&nd  that  "temple"  means 
"sanctuary,"  which  is  another  way  of  saying  "holy 
place."  So  you  see  that  the  discouraged  citizen  has  been 
desecrating  one  of  God's  holy  places  by  mistreating  his 
body.  Of  course  he  has  not  realized  what  he  was  doing. 
He  just  did  what  he  felt  like  doing.  In  order  to  make 
this  all  still  plainer,  turn  back  to  the  Old  Testament  and 
read  about  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  and  some  things  that 
happened  to  it.  You  will  find  the  places  in  2  Chronicles 
5:13  and  14;  2  Chronicles  29:15-19;  2  Kings  21:47, 
and  2  Chronicles  33:45-47.  You  might  also  look  up 
Daniel  5 :  2-5,  where  Nebuchadnezzar  and  his  court  drank 


BLUEBIRDS  FOR  HAPPINESS         127 

wine  and  praised  their  idols  in  the  golden  vessels  taken 
from  the  Temple  of  God  in  Jerusalem.  This  was  just  be- 
fore the  handwriting  appeared  on  the  wall  of  the  king's 
palace  foretelling  Nebuchadnezzar's  downfall. 

When  you  were  the  discouraged  citizen  whose  body  had 
been  mistreated  because  of  over  eating  we  might  say  that 
you  set  up  an  idol  in  the  temple.  When  you  were  careless 
about  cleaning  up  inside  you  let  trash  and  disorder 
accumulate  there  instead  of  doing  as  King  Hezekiah  did. 
And  when  you  did  not  rest  enough  you  let  some  other 
desire  carry  off  some  of  the  sacred  equipment  of  your 
temple.  So  how  could  the  glory  of  God  be  revealed  there? 

But  bodily  conditions  may  not  be  the  reason  for  the 
discouragements  that  you  have  felt.  The  trouble  may  be 
in  your  mind,  and  in  your  feelings — the  "Holy  of  holies" 
of  your  personal  temple.  Here  are  some  causes  of  that 
kind  which  several  growing  citizens  have  thought  of  as 
they  talked  about  this  lesson  for  our  book. 

Maybe  the  teacher  may  have  scolded  at  you  too  much. 

Your  parents  seem  to  nag  at  you. 

Your  feelings  may  have  been  hurt. 

You  have  lost  a  game  or  somebody  has  been  mean  to 
you. 

Perhaps  you  can  add  to  the  list.  Do  so  if  you  can,  in 
order  to  have  it  ready  to  talk  over  in  class.  Try  to  find 
out  whether  anything  was  wrong  with  your  citizenship 
when  the  teacher  "called  you  down/'  or  your  parents 
"nagged/'  or  when  you  sat  up  after  you  were  tired  and 
should  have  gone  to  bed.  Were  you  "playing  fair"  and 
were  you  doing  Senior-Citizen  choosing?  It  isn't  spe- 
cially pleasant  to  look  one's  faults  in  the  face,  but  how 
are  we  going  to  see  ourselves  as  we  seem  to  others  unless 
we  are  willing  to  look?  And  how  are  we  going  to  find  out 
how  to  change  if  we  stick  our  heads  into  the  sand  as  the 


128  CITIZEN,  JR. 

ostriches  are  said  to  do,  because  we  don't  want  to  look 
and  to  see? 

In  this  connection  you  will  probably  like  to  reread  part 
of  the  story  of  Elijah.  You  will  find  it  in  i  Kings  lo: 
4~i8.  Elijah  was  discouraged  because  he  thought  being 
good  was  "such  a  lonesome  job.''  He  thought  that  he  had 
been  a  wonderful  example  of  a  good  citizen,  and  that 
everybody  else  was  at  fault.  He  was  tired  of  trying  and 
"wanted  to  die.'' 

Look  and  see  what  happened  to  help  him.  He  first  had 
to  tell  the  cause  of  his  discouragement  and  find  out  that 
it  was  all  a  mistake.  Then  as  he  communed  with  God  he 
received  strength  from  him.  These  things  are  the  remedy 
for  all  discouraged  citizens. 

When  you  get  discouraged  it  really  means  that  you  are 
wanting  to  get  back  to  the  baby  stage  of  living.  You 
want  people  to  pay  you  attention  and  comfort  you  or  do 
things  for  you  or  be  sorry  for  you,  etc.  You  want  to  stop 
trying  and  not  exert  yourself  any  more  than  you  did  when 
you  were  a  baby.  You  pity  yourself  as  Elijah  did.  But 
most  of  the  time  you  do  not  realize  that  this  is  what  it 
means. 

Can  you  think  out  how  this  pitying  of  yourself  is  really 
a  sort  of  mental  "consumption"  wasting  away  your 
strength?  Would  it  do  to  call  it  a  kind  of  "cannibal" 
living,  since  you  eat  up  yourself  and  you  eat  up  the 
strength  and  patience  and  time  and  spirit  of  other  people? 
Another  way  to  describe  it  would  be  "pussy-cat"  living 
since  you  want  to  be  stroked  and  made  comfortable! 

Now  that  you  realize  these  things  of  course  you  do  not 
for  a  minute  want  to  keep  them  up.  One  big  help  toward 
a  change  will  be  to  look  at  things  squarely.  Perhaps  you 
will  need  to  ask  yourself  whether  you  really  get  a  sort  of 
pleasure  from  sagging  and  discouragement.  Do  you  really 


BLUEBIRDS  FOR  HAPPINESS         129 

want  the  happiness  of  the  bluebird,  or  this  other  false  kind 
of  sensation — the  one  that  makes  you  the  center  of 
things?  Find  out  whether  you  bring  the  trouble  upon 
yourseK  by  not  being  fair  at  home  or  at  school,  or  with 
somebody  you  know.  If  so,  you  will  want  to  get  to  work 
and  fix  things  up.  Remember,  too,  where  you  get  your 
power  to  live.  With  all  of  God's  wonderful  supply  to 
draw  from  is  there  any  reason  why  you  should  not  come 
to  live  superbly  and  to  overcome  whatever  trouble  there 
may  be  in  you  or  in  other  people?  Like  Elijah,  when  you 
speak  with  God,  you  can  be  strong  again. 

Now  go  over  your  "discouraged"  list  again  and  see  how 
such  living  spoils  your  good  citizenship  and  how  it  inter- 
feres with  other  people.  What  sort  of  future  citizen  will 
result  if  you  keep  on?  What  is  to  be  done  to  avoid  this? 
Let  us  review  what  we  have  studied:  Remove  the  cause 
by  studying  the  facts,  make  the  better  choice,  and  shine 
with  God  in  overcoming.  Then  you  will  have  turned 
your  diamond  and  will  see  a  very  different-looking 
world. 

Finding  Bluebirds 

Somebody  once  made  a  sulky  little  girl  laugh,  and  helped 
her  to  choose  better  by  saying  to  her  with  a  nice  tone 
and  a  pleasant  smile,  **0h,  Mary,  please  put  your  face  on 
straight !"  Do  you  know  how  to  put  yours  on  that  way  ? 

Think  back  to  the  lessons  on  * 'Sunlight  Living"  and  see 
how  many  bluebird  ways  of  bringing  happiness  you  can 
find  to  help  discouraged  people.  Pick  out  and  make  a 
list  of  the  ones  that  appeal  to  you  most  and  that  you 
will  try  both  with  other  people  and  with  yourself. 

What  is  the  greatest  secret  of  happiness-living  for  a  dis- 
couraged person  to  learn?  Look  carefully  at  the  last 
part  of  the  lesson  that  you  have  just  been  studying  and 
see  if  you  can  find  this  very  special  bluebird  for  happi- 
ness. 


I30  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Here  are  verses  from  Longfellow  for  you  to  memorize. 
As  you  do  so,  you  will  find  it  interesting  to  picture  in 
your  mind  what  is  said.  You  can  see  the  **torrents** 
half  dried  up,  and  later  full  to  overflowing.  Perhaps  you 
may  have  seen  a  stream  do  this.  Next  look  for  the 
cause  and  compare  it  with  the  cause  spoken  of  in  the 
last  two  lines,  to  see  how  these  verses  express  the  citizen 
secret  of  happiness. 

**As  torrents  in  summer, 
Half  dried  in  their  channels, 
Suddenly  rise,  though  the 
Sky  is  still  cloudless, 
For  rain  has  been  falling 
Far  off  at  their  fountains, 

**So  hearts  that  are  fainting 
Grow  full  to  overflowing. 
And  they  that  behold  it 
Marvel  and  know  not 
That  God  at  their  fountains 
Far  off  has  been  raining." 

LESSON  20 

GRIT  GOING  TO  WASTE 

A  Junior  Citizen  who  always  had  been  troubled  by  a 
very  difficult  temper  had  been  nagged  about  it,  and 
scolded  for  it,  and  made  to  feel  like  a  heathen  because  of 
it  until  she  was  bitterly  discouraged  and,  like  Elijah,  she 
wanted  to  die.  She  would  repent  and  pray  and  try  to  be 
good,  but  it  didn't  seem  to  help  very  much.  One  day  as 
she  was  talking  to  her  pastor  he  asked  how  she  was  getting 
along.  So  she  told  him  how  she  felt  about  her  "terrible 
temper."  With  the  kindest  sort  of  smile  he  looked  at  her 
and  said,  ''Don't  you  know  that  temper  is  only  grit  going 
to  waste?" 


BLUEBIRDS  FOR  HAPPINESS  131 

Instantly  that  turned  the  diamond  for  her.  It  took 
away  the  old  hopeless  feeling  forever.  She  saw  that  in- 
stead of  being  something  altogether  bad,  temper  means 
power  going  to  waste,  power  that  may  be  used  in  splendid, 
courageous  living.  She  did  not  know,  as  you  do,  that 
this  tremendous  life  energy  is  a  holy  thing,  and  for  a  long 
time  she  did  not  learn  to  use  it  rightly,  but  she  did  see 
that  to  lose  one's  temper  means  an  immense  waste  of 
good  material. 

Now  let  us  look  at  some  Bible  verses — Proverbs  16:32: 

He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the  mighty; 
And  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit,  than  he  that  taketh 
a  city. 

As  you  think  this  over  imagine  that  you  see  the  persons 
who  are  compared.  On  one  side  is  somebody  who  is  not 
easily  made  angry.  On  the  other  side  is  a  ^'mighty"  one, 
an  emperor  or  a  wealthy  person  who  cares  only  for  him- 
self; whoever  you  choose.  Then  another  contrast.  A  man 
who  is  able  to  be  quiet  and  poised  under  provocation, 
while  opposite  to  him  is  a  conqueror  of  a  walled  and 
fortified  city,  perhaps.  As  you  picture  such  contrasts 
work  out  why  one  is  "better"  than  the  other. 

Next  suppose  we  list  everything  that  is  like  losing  one's 
temper,  so  as  to  learn  as  much  as  we  can.  There  are  fret- 
ful, snarling,  surly,  irritable,  sulky  times  as  well  as  blazing 
angry  ones.  All  of  them  belong  together,  like  a  family. 
Think  awhile  and  see  to  what  they  would  grow  when  they 
ripened.  And  refer  to  what  Jesus  says  in  Matthew  5:  22. 
Such  moods  mean  that  you  are  being  pulled  back  toward 
a  savage  way  of  living  that  would  end  in  your  doing  what 
would  injure  or  kill.  That  sounds  pretty  terrible,  for,  of 
course,  you  hadn't  realized  it  was  like  that.  Now  that 
you  see  it  so  plainly  as  it  is  when  it  gets  ripe,  it  will  be 


132  CITIZEN,  JR. 

easier  not  to  choose  that  sort  of  living.  Besides,  suppose 
the  habit  grows  stronger  until  it  controls  you.  You  know 
the  sort  of  citizens  who  do  that  kind  of  thing  when  they 
are  grown  and  who  have  to  be  put  in  prison.  Do  you 
suppose  that  if  they  had  learned  how  to  govern  them- 
selves when  they  were  Juniors,  they  would  have  landed 
there? 

All  of  the  trouble  about  temper  needn't  be  as  bad  as  it 
seems.  It  just  means  that  you  have  to  run  yourself  as  if 
you  were  an  automobile.  Instead  of  letting  it  turn  just 
any  way,  or  allowing  somebody  else  to  interfere  when  you 
are  driving,  you  must  guide  the  wheel  yourself.  The 
power  within  you  is  so  strong  that  it  can  go  with  a  whiz, 
but  you  must  guide  it.  When  you  are  ugly  because  you 
do  not  like  something  that  somebody  has  done  to  you, 
and  when  you  "just  hate"  somebody  who  is  good,  or  who 
has  succeeded  where  you  have  failed,  and  when  you  get 
angry,  the  old  furious,  savage  way  of  living  is  trying  to 
swing  the  wheel  out  of  your  hands,  and  a  smash-up  is 
likely  to  happen.   You  know  how  it  is. 

Lots  of  times,  it  may  be  that  you  have  trouble  with 
your  temper  because  you  are  afraid  that  somebody  is 
going  to  boss  you  or  to  try  to  make  you  do  something  that 
you  do  not  want  to  do;  just  as  if  the  other  person  grabbed 
the  steering  wheel  away  from  you.  You'll  have  to  admit 
that  sometimes  you  do  need  help,  but  right  here  is  where 
you  have  a  great  chance  for  citizenship  training.  Just 
because  other  people  love  you  and  want  to  help,  because 
they  are  so  eager  for  you  to  do  exactly  what  is  right,  and 
because  they  feel  that  they  are  responsible  for  you  they 
often  start  to  **boss"  or  criticize,  or  even  just  tell  you 
what  to  do,  when  you  feel  that  it  isn't  necessary. 

Sometimes  they  are  so  accustomed  to  running  things 
that  they  forget  to  giye  you  your  turn;  and  sometimes, 


BLUEBIRDS  FOR  HAPPINESS         133 

especially  if  they  are  Junior  Citizens,  they  are  so  eager  to 
run  things  themselves  that  they  try  to  take  part  of  your 
share.  No  matter  what  the  reason  is,  you've  got  to  learn 
to  drive,  to  be  your  own  best  boss,  as  we  studied  in  the 
lessons  on  "Following  the  Star."  If  you  get  cranky,  you 
are  not  guiding.  You  prove  that  you  are  still  scared  and 
think  that  somebody  is  going  to  run  into  you.  If  you 
flare  up,  you  start  a  fire  in  the  other  person.  You  have 
to  learn  the  biggest  choosing.  How  can  you  do  it?  Try 
to  think. 

If  an  older  person  is  the  one  who  is  seeming  to  try  to 
take  the  wheel  from  your  hands,  can't  you  quietly  ex- 
plain, after  you  have  prayed  a  bit  silently?  Why  not  help 
the  other  person  to  understand  by  asking  that  a  chance 
be  given  you  to  prove  what  fine  initiative  and  self- 
reliance  you  are  capable  of  showing;  what  an  excellent 
citizen  you  can  prove  yourself  to  be!  People  will  usually 
listen  if  you  are  nice  about  it,  especially  if  you  speak 
gently  and  smile  in  a  courteous,  considerate  way  that 
shows  that  you  want  to  play  fair. 

If  it  is  another  Junior,  just  remember  that  whatever 
you  say  and  do  is  going  to  make  it  either  hard  or  easy  for 
him  to  be  a  good  citizen.  "Watch  Your  Words."  If  you 
can  keep  yourself  steady,  you  can  show  him  how  to  play 
fair,  and  both  of  you  will  gain. 

With  either  the  older  people  or  with  Juniors,  do  you 
think  it  can  help  to  be  ugly?  Does  it  get  you  anywhere? 
Some  folks  aren't  quite  sure.  They  rather  enjoy  letting 
go.  It  gives  them  a  feeling  of  freedom  and  power.  Is  this 
a  good  kind?  Or  is  it  only  pirate  living?  Another  reason 
why  some  folks  like  to  indulge  in  angry  spells  is  because 
they  think  they  can  get  what  they  choose  by  doing  so; 
trying  to  make  people  give  them  what  they  want  rather 
than  stand  the  horrid  times  when  they  are  angry.    Big 


134  CITIZEN,  JR. 

squalling  babies,  aren't  they?  Some  others  do  it  because 
it  is  the  only  way  they  know  of  making  other  folks 
obey  them,  and  this  is  what  they  want.  They  are  so  small 
in  their  living  that  they  resort  to  a  mean  trick  like  this 
to  prove  how  big  and  powerful  they  wish  they  were. 

Still  other  folks  get  angry  because  they  have  not 
learned  any  better  way  of  securing  justice  and  making 
things  come  right.  They  are  afraid  of  the  person  with 
whom  they  are  angry,  afraid  of  being  mastered  by  that 
person.  They  are  strong  enough  to  want  fair  play  and 
to  try  to  get  it  instead  of  giving  up  discouraged,  but  they 
feel  weak  and  unable  to  meet  the  other  person's  attitude 
except  by  an  angry  protest.  Of  course  the  other  one  does 
not  understand  and  regards  it  as  a  sign  of  an  ugly  dis- 
position. Perhaps  this  may  be  true  in  your  case.  If  so, 
you  have  a  lot  of  adventures  ahead  as  you  learn  how  to 
rely  on  God  to  keep  you  quiet  and  strong,  instead  of 
doing  unworthy  things. 

It  may  help  you  to  know  that  many  grown  people  have 
this  difficulty.  You  will  see  it  showing  every  now  and 
then.  Usually  they  did  not  get  a  good  start.  Probably 
when  they  were  little,  somebody  was  bossy  or  cranky  or 
interfered  needlessly  with  them.  Perhaps  somebody 
thought  it  was  funny  to  see  them  get  *^mad"  when  they 
were  teased.  (You've  seen  folks  who  did  such  things  to 
a  baby  and  laughed  at  it,  but  later,  when  it  was  a  little 
older,  scold  it  for  being  ugly  tempered.)  Maybe  it  was  a 
bossy  brother  or  a  very  nagging  sister  who  interfered  with 
their  initiative  and  development.  Whatever  the  reason, 
these  unfortunate  older  people  still  carry  with  them  deep 
in  their  minds  the  picture  of  what  happened.  They  may 
have  forgotten  it,  but  the  picture  is  still  there,  and  away 
deep  down  is  the  old  angry  feeling.  So  without  realizing 
it  when  somebody  annoys  them  now,  the  happenings  of 


BLUEBIRDS  FOR  HAPPINESS  135 

to-day  combine  with  the  buried  feeling  of  the  old  expe- 
riences just  like  two  big  soap  bubbles  when  you  put  them 
together.  And  then  they  get  a  big  anger,  and  soon  there 
is  a  smash-up.  Think  how  immensely  strong  the  habit 
has  grown  through  the  years  of  doing  these  things.  Can 
you  afford  to  risk  becoming  like  them?  You  know  better 
and  are  having  chances  that  they  never  had.  Will  you 
not  have  to  count  in  these  things  when  you  must  play  fair 
with  such  an  unfortunate  grown  person  the  next  time 
that  trouble  starts?  You  will  have  to  help  be  good  for 
both.  Just  what  will  be  your  share  as  a  Junior  Citizen  in 
preventing  more  trouble  for  them  on  your  account?  Just 
how  can  you  help? 

Perhaps  you  have  found  out  that  when  you  try  to  con- 
trol your  temper  by  just  cramming  it  back  and  holding 
in  the  ugly  things  that  you  want  to  do  and  say,  it  sud- 
denly breaks  loose  and  you  do  something  that  you  are 
sorry  for  even  when  you  least  expect  it.  Some  tiny  thing 
makes  it  come  up  like  those  funny  little  heads  that  spring 
up  out  of  the  Jack-in-the-Box  playthings  that  children 
have.  The  lid  flies  off  and  up  your  temper  comes  with  its 
ugly  old  face.  That  happens  because  you  were  trying  to 
be  good  by  just  holding  in.  You  haven't  learned  to  use 
your  temper.  Look  up  Proverbs  19:  n,  Proverbs  15:  i, 
Romans  12:21,  Luke  6:32-33  and  Galatians  5:13-15, 
and  see  if  you  can  work  out  for  yourself  ways  of  using 
God's  life  lovingly  instead  of  wasting  it  in  temper.  May- 
be you  may  not  succeed  the  first  time  you  try  to  live  the 
new  way.  Never  mind.  Keep  at  it.  It  is  just  like  learn- 
ing a  game,  or  practicing  for  a  race.  Think  back  to  what 
we  read  about  the  tremendous  strength  of  the  bad- 
temper  habit  that  some  persons  have.  We  talked  of  it  in 
the  lesson  on  "The  Game."  Let  that  be  a  measure  to 
show  you  how  wonderful  the  new  and  better  habit  can 


136  CITIZEN,  JR. 

be  in  you  if  you  practice  year  by  year  in  constant  choices 
of  what  you  really  wish  to  have  when  it  is  "ripe." 

Temper  is  grit,  or  power  going  to  waste,  you  remember. 
And  God  is  Love.   Which  do  you  choose? 

Bluebird  Searchings 

Jesus  said,  "Blessed  are  the  meek,"  those  who  have  no 
antagonisms,  no  ugly  fighting  places,  no  scratchy  sur- 
faces to  rub  against  other  people  or  to  be  bimiped  by 
them.   Why  are  they  "blessed"  or  happy? 

How  can  you  have  true  adventures  of  spirit  in  changing 
from  discouragement  to  a  new  enthusiastic  effort  ? 

How  is  it  possible  to  have  a  real  adventure  with  yourself 
or  with  other  people  in  regard  to  temper  and  moods 
like  it? 

In  an  old-time  story  book  there  was  a  story  of  a  boy  who 
was  easily  discouraged  and  who  had  a  nasty  temper.  As 
he  went  on  a  journey  much  like  Alice's  Adventures  in 
Wonderland,  he  was  reminded  over  and  over  of  this 
verse,  which  helped  him  to  win  out. 

"Keep  your  temper. 
Never  give  in, 
And  success  you'll  surely  win." 

Write  in  your  notebook  or  tell  in  class  why  these  two 

points  can  promise  success. 
If  an  older  citizen  is  cranky  to  you,  are  you  justified  in 

becoming  cross  or  in  losing  your  temper?  Why?  What 

can  you  do  to  bring  "happiness"  instead? 
What  Bluebird  tests  have  you  passed  since  you  began  these 

two  lessons? 
Here  is  a  part  of  a  psalm  for  you  to  think  about  and 

memorize,  if  you  have  not  done  so  already.  Psalm  1:1-3: 

Blessed  is  the  man  that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel 

of  the  wicked, 
Nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners, 


BLUEBIRDS  FOR  HAPPINESS         137 

Nor  sitteth  in  the  seat  of  the  scoffers: 

But  his  delight  is  in  the  law  of  Jehovah; 

And  on  his  law  doth  he  meditate  day  and  night. 

And  he  shall  be  like  a  tree  planted  by  the  streams 

of  water, 
That  bringeth  forth  its  fruit  in  its  season, 
Whose  leaf  also  doth  not  wither; 
And  whatsoever  he  doeth  shall  prosper. 

What  is  the  kingdom  law  by  which  such  a  man  guides  his 
conduct  and  achieves  success  instead  of  being  proud, 
scornful  and  disagreeable? 

What  is  the  best  way  to  'Turn  Your  Diamond'*? 


GROUP  XI 

Lessons  21  and  22 

TESTS  OF  COURAGE 

Tests  of  courage  for  everyday 
and  for  special  times  are  what 
we  will  aim  to  work  out  in  this 
new  group  of  lessons  since  cit- 
izenship of  quality  requires  cour- 
age of  the  finest  kind.  Just  as  an 
Indian  lad  must  learn  to  shoot 
straight  to  the  mark  with  his 
arrows,  so  you  as  a  Junior 
Citizen  are  going  to  practice  in 
order  to  form  the  habits  that 
will  give  to  your  courage  the 
surest  aim.   Before  you  come  to 

the  time  of  full  citizenship  you  will  test  yourself  out  again 

and  again. 
As  you  do  so  you  may  like  to  think  of  this  Bible  verse 

which  holds  a  courage  secret.    It  is  the  first  verse  of 

Psalm  27. 

Jehovah  is  my  light  and  my  salvation; 
Whom  shall  I  fear? 
Jehovah  is  the  strength  of  my  life; 
Of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid? 


•AIM  STRAIGHT" 


LESSON  21 

EVERYDAY  ADVENTURES 

Did  you  know  that  some  of  the  old  fairy  tales  that  you 
used  to  read  can  come  true  in  your  everyday  living?  Take 

138 


TESTS  OF  COURAGE  139 

Jack  the  Giant  Killer,  for  instance.  Just  as  he  found 
adventures  in  the  course  of  his  journeyings  and  found 
ways  of  overcoming  his  huge  enemies,  so  you  can  have 
adventures  and  make  courageous  conquests  from  day  to 
day.  Every  hard  task,  every  difl&cult  thing,  instead  of 
overwhehning  you,  stealing  away  your  courage  and 
making  you  pity  yourself  because  you  have  such  a  hard 
lot,  can  really  become  a  challenge  to  you  to  test  your 
ability  and  courage.  Then,  instead  of  being  a  cowardly 
person  who  sees  only  the  difficult  part,  you  can  be  one 
of  those  courageous  souls  who  are  on  the  lookout  to  dis- 
cover in  hard  things  adventures. 

What  does  it  matter  if  the  thing  is  hard?  Are  you  eager 
to  prove  how  weak  you  are?  If  you  master  things,  isn't 
it  a  proof  of  your  courage  and  your  power?  In  whose 
strength  do  you  live?  What  about  the  Bible  verse  with 
its  secret  for  courage?  Now  that  you  come  to  see  some 
of  these  things,  aren't  folks  really  funny  sometimes  in  the 
way  that  they  act? 

Perhaps  you  may  catch  a  glimpse  of  something  funny 
in  yourself  that  you  never  supposed  was  there  if  you  will 
just  look  closely  enough.  When  you  are  promoted  from 
easy  work  to  something  harder,  to  a  higher  grade  or  a 
bigger  undertaking,  of  course  you  feel  pleased  and  a  bit 
proud  of  this  proof  of  your  ability  and  progress.  But 
when  the  slow,  hard  part  of  the  new  work  begins,  does 
the  happy  music  that  was  inside  you  change  to  a  doleful 
wail  about  how  hard  you  have  to  work  and  a  complaint 
that  there  isn't  any  fun  in  this  thing?  And  then  when  you 
manage  to  succeed  do  you  find  yourself  bragging  about 
what  a  "lot  of  work"  it  had  been,  and  do  you  feel  big 
and  satisfied  with  yourself  again?  Aren't  you  rather 
funny,  now  that  you  think  of  it  all?  Do  you  Hve  in 
minutes  or  in  meanings?   Isn't  it  the  spirit  of  the  mean- 


140  CITIZEN,  JR. 

ings  that  makes  the  minutes  count  whether  for  cowardice 
or  courage?  Next  time,  how  will  it  do  to  ask  yourself, 
"Am  I  showing  the  courage  that  makes  adventures?*' 

You  can  have  a  wonderfully  good  time  as  you  explore 
each  difficult  thing  and  master  it.  This  means  exactly 
what  it  says.  You  can  actually  have  fun  out  of  the  hard 
things.  Don't  you  like  to  win  a  hard  game  better  than 
an  easy  one?  Then  think  and  see  that  every  disagreeable 
task,  every  hard  decision,  every  difficult  undertaking 
holds  hidden  treasure,  something  that  is  worth  your  best 
efforts  and  that  calls  to  you  for  the  courage  of  an  adven- 
ture in  discovering  its  wealth. 

You  can  even  have  an  adventure  in  discovering 
courage  when  you  are  discouraged.  Let  things  come  back 
into  your  mind  from  tt^e  time  that  you  began  to  feel 
discouraged.  Find  out  just  what  happened;  look  even  at 
the  uncomfortable,  disagreeable,  discouraging  facts, 
whatever  they  may  be.  You  can't  afford  to  make  a  Jack- 
in-the-Box  of  them,  you  know.  Do  not  brood,  but  look 
to  see  just  where  you  were  at  fault  and  how  you  can 
change.  Then  make  your  decision  for  new  courage,  in 
God's  name.  Find  your  adventure  in  using  his  life  to 
bring  triumph  out  of  defeat,  no  matter  how  long  or  how 
short  a  time  it  takes.  Make  a  big  adventure  out  of 
changing  yourself  from  a  citizen  who  is  a  nuisance,  a 
drain  and  a  drag,  to  one  who  boosts  and  succeeds. 

You  can  have  an  adventure  if  you  use  this  God-inspired 
courage  when  you  are  tempted  to  let  your  temper  and 
fiery  feelings  run  away  with  you  in  irritability,  stubborn- 
ness, anger,  etc.  Indeed,  these  things  can  yield  two  kinds 
of  adventure.  A  quality  citizen  can  be  made  from  a 
bothersome  strife-stirring  one,  and  you  can  adventure 
with  the  other  persons  involved,  for  instead  of  getting 
"even"  by  going  down  to  a  low,  unkind  level  of  living  you 


TESTS  OF  COURAGE  141 

can  climb  up  the  Jacob's  ladder  of  prayer  and  choose  to 
give  them  your  loving  kindness. 

In  both  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New — in  Proverbs 
25:  21-22  and  in  Romans  12 :  20 — you  will  find  directions 
to  follow  in  your  adventure  and  conduct. 

Here  are  the  verses  for  you  to  see  how  both  the  Old 
Testament  and  the  New  give  you  directions  in  almost 
the  same  words. 

Old  Testament 

If  thine  enemy  be  hungry,  give  him  bread  to  eat; 
And  if  he  be  thirsty,  give  him  water  to  drink: 
For  thou  wilt  heap  coals  of  fire  upon  his  head, 
And  Jehovah  will  reward  thee. 

New  Testament 

But  if  thine  enemy  hunger,  feed  him;  if  he  thirst, 
give  him  to  drink:  for  in  so  doing  thou  shalt  heap 
coals  of  fire  upon  his  head.  Be  not  overcome  of  evil, 
but  overcome  evil  with  good. 
This  expression  about  heaping  coals  of  fire  refers  to 
the  old  savage  desire  for  vengeance  upon  an  enemy  ex- 
pressed proverbially  by  the  thought  of  making  him  suffer 
from  the  fire.    But  the  only  vengeance  that  a  true 
citizen  takes  is  to  do  a  good  turn  to  the  offender.  Then  the 
"enemy"  feels  a  "burning  sense  of  shame"  that  makes 
him  desire  to  make  things  right,  since  he  has  not  received 
evil  but  good.  If  a  return  is  made  in  a  spirit  like  his  own, 
do  you  think  there  is  much  hope  of  mending  matters  and 
changing  to  a  loving  relationship  again  very  soon?  What, 
then,  is  "good  business"  from  a  citizen's  point  of  view? 
Do  you  recall  the  story  of  Jacob  wrestling  with  the 
angel?  Jacob  was  facing  something  very  hard,  the  results 
of  his  sin  of  years  before.  As  you  remember,  he  had  done 
his  brother  Esau  a  great  wrong.   For  years  they  had  not 


142  CITIZEN,  JR. 

even  seen  each  other,  since  Esau  had  said  he  would  kill 
Jacob.  Of  course,  remembering  what  he  had  done,  Jacob 
was  afraid  to  meet  his  brother.  Yet  he  must  meet  him 
the  next  day.  That  night  the  messenger  of  God  wrestled 
with  him.  Surely,  it  was  like  a  fight  between  his  old 
tricky  self  and  the  higher  one.  How  he  must  have  lived 
over  what  he  had  done !  Probably  he  felt  tempted  to  keep 
on  in  the  same  spirit,  for  people  often  do  when  they  have 
wronged  someone.  But  he  must  also  have  seen  how  he 
looked  in  God's  sight,  and  longed  to  be  made  right.  And 
so,  in  the  darkness  he  wrestled  with  a  man  who  revealed 
God  to  him  and  who  gave  him  a  new  name  when  he 
insisted  on  having  the  stranger's  blessing.  From  being 
Jacob  he  became  Israel.  If  you  look  up  the  meanings  of 
these  names,  you  will  see  that  from  being  a  tricky,  dis- 
honest man  he  was  now  to  live  as  a  prince  who  had  power 
with  God  and  men. 

Did  you  ever  wrestle  anything  out  this  way?  Then 
you  know  the  wonderful  change  that  came.  Perhaps  you 
were  trying  to  play  fair  with  somebody  whom  you  had 
wronged.  You  didn't  want  to  apologize,  maybe;  you 
were  ashamed  and  afraid  to  meet  the  person.  But  as  you 
prayed  and  thought,  you  found  new  courage  and  you 
went  and  did  the  hard  thing.  Everything  was  straightened 
out  again  and  you  felt  like  a  new  person.  Now  that  you 
look  back  over  it,  do  you  see  what  an  adventure  of  a 
spiritual  kind  it  was?  Do  you  think  it  was  worth  the 
hard  struggle  to  make  an  Israel  out  of  your  Jacob?  Does 
it  give  you  more  courage  to  adventure,  the  next  time 
that  something  happens? 

There  is  still  another  way  in  which  a  citizen  can  prac- 
tice the  tests  for  this  finest  of  courage.  Do  you  remember 
the  Code  for  American  Boys  and  Girls?  It  is  in  the  book, 
The  Rules  of  the  Game,  Part  of  the  code  says,  "I  will  not 


TESTS  OF  COURAGE  143 

be  afraid  of  doing  right  when  the  crowd  does  wrong."  Do 
you  feel  that  you  can  say  this  of  yourself? 

Of  course  it  is  hard,  one  of  the  hardest  things  that  a 
citizen  has  to  do.  It  is  an  immense  test  of  his  courage  so 
it  is  a  chance  for  a  supreme  adventure.  Who  knows 
whether  in  some  way,  either  now  or  later,  your  courage 
and  your  stand  for  the  right  may  turn  the  whole  crowd 
in  regard  to  this  thing  and  start  some  or  all  of  them  to 
making  right  life  decisions  besides.  So  do  you  dare  to 
risk  not  doing  it?  Perhaps  the  whole  citizenship  problem 
for  you  and  for  them  hangs  on  what  you  do.  Will  you 
be  dependable  in  this?  Not  by  your  own  efforts  alone 
can  you  achieve  the  adventure,  but  you,  with  the  power 
of  God  living  in  you,  can  do  it. 

Maybe  it  may  comfort  and  help  you  to  think  about 
Someone  else  who  was  alone  in  his  stand  for  the  right, 
whose  friends  went  back  on  him,  and  one  of  them  even 
betrayed  him  to  the  folks  that  hated  him.  Yes,  just  as 
you  have  guessed,  it  was  Jesus,  in  the  garden  of  Geth- 
semane.  He  went  there  to  pray.  He  needed  comradeship 
in  his  diflficulty,  but  even  his  best  friends  did  not  under- 
stand and  went  to  sleep,  although  he  had  told  them  that 
he  was  sorrowful  even  "unto  death."  Alone  in  the  garden 
he  faced  an  agony  of  spirit  so  great  that  it  brought  a 
bloody  sweat  that  might  have  killed  him.  If  he  had  died 
then,  people  could  not  have  been  sure  of  the  wonderful 
thing  that  he  was  going  to  prove.  Three  times  he  went 
back  to  his  friends  and  they  failed  him.  But  his  prayer 
to  God  for  help  and  that  his  will  only  might  be  accom- 
plished brought  him  aid  from  the  invisible  world. 

A  little  later  he  was  betrayed  by  one  of  those  whom 
he  had  chosen  to  be  with  him.  He  went  on  courageously 
to  his  death,  for  only  in  this  way — by  being  put  to  death 
and  buried,  and  then  by  rising  again — could  he  make  the 


144  CITIZEN,  JR. 

world  sure  that  death  is  not  the  end  of  everything  and 
that  the  soul's  life  goes  on  eternally.  It  was  a  magnificent 
adventure  of  spirit,  the  greatest  ever  known.  Being  done 
in  the  strength  and  power  of  God  it  could  not  fail. 

Just  as  Jesus  received  help  from  the  world  of  the  spirit, 
so  peace  and  quiet  come  to  you  when  you  make  it  your 
one  purpose  to  glorify  God  as  you  adventure  in  doing 
what  is  best  for  everybody,  though  all  the  crowd  is 
against  you.  So  when  the  crowd  is  going  in  the  wrong 
direction  and  you  must  stand  alone,  take  courage  and 
pray  as  Jesus  did.  If  he  could  face  what  he  did,  alone, 
in  the  strength  of  God,  so  can  you.  Know  that  God  is 
with  you  and  within  you,  giving  you  life.  Ask  him  to 
put  into  your  mind  what  to  say,  to  show  you  how  to 
make  the  right  way  so  attractive  that  the  crowd  will 
want  to  do  it.  Help  wiU  come  and  you  will  find  the  way 
to  achieve  your  adventure.  Remember  your  verse  that 
holds  the  courage  secret  and  remember  Jesus  Christ  as 
he  faced  the  worst  that  the  world  could  do.  It  is  courage 
like  his  that  brings  heroic  adventures. 

Some  Test  Points 

See  whether  you  recall  the  verses  by  Sidney  Lanier,  the 
lines  from  the  poem  **Sunrise"  that  you  memorized  in 
the  * 'Sunlight  Living"  group  of  lessons.  Does  this  poetry 
belong  with  these  Courage  lessons  too?  Why? 

Is  it  true  that  **he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  is  greater  than  he 
that  taketh  a  city"?  Which  takes  more  courage? 

How  will  you  complete  this — *T  will  be  courageous  as  a 
citizenand  will  not ^because  I  choose  instead "? 

Ask  yourself,  "How  many  ways  can  I  think  of  in  which 
courage  is  a  help  in  my  good  citizenship?"  List  your 
answers. 

How  far  does  your  courage  or  the  lack  of  it  make  a  dif- 
ference to  other  citizens,  both  Junior  and  Senior? 


TESTS  OF  COURAGE  145 

LESSON  22 
WHEN  THE  CROWD  LAUGHS 

How  do  you  suppose  Noah  felt  when  the  neighbors 
made  fun  of  him  while  he  was  building  the  ark?  Do  you 
think  his  feelings  were  anything  like  your  own  that  time 
when  the  crowd  laughed  at  you  because  you  stood  up 
for  something  that  was  right  and  that  they  did  not  want 
to  do?  Did  you  have  Noah-courage  to  meet  the  test  and 
to  hold  fast  to  the  code  ideal,  "I  will  not  be  afraid  of 
being  laughed  at'7  It  surely  does  take  courage  to  be 
unafraid  of  ridicule  and  of  being  thought  queer.  Some- 
times you  wish  there  were  something  to  help  you  out 
perhaps.  Let  us  talk  it  over  and  do  a  little  "supposing." 

Suppose  you  are  on  a  hike  with  the  crowd  and  know 
exactly  which  road  to  choose  when  you  come  to  a  cross- 
ing. You  are  absolutely  sure  about  it  and  nobody  else 
knows.  Will  you  really  mind  their  opinion  very  much  if 
they  all  insist  on  going  the  other  way?  Isn't  there  some- 
thing that  makes  you  feel  secure  in  knowing  that  they, 
not  you,  are  mistaken  and  that  they  will  find  it  out  in 
the  end? 

And  you  will  not  be  willing  to  go  with  them  the  wrong 
way  either,  will  you?  You'll  march  straight  ahead  in  the 
right  direction  and  let  them  follow  or  not  as  they  choose. 
You  know. 

This  is  what  will  help  you  when  you  stand  up  for  doing 
right  and  the  crowd  laughs  at  you.  The  thing  that  will 
help  you  not  to  be  afraid  and  not  to  mind,  will  be  your 
being  absolutely  sure  that  the  thing  is  right.  You  will  be 
able  then  to  see  where  their  road  leads,  and  will  know 
that  it  will  not  take  them  where  they  would  really  want 
to  be,  in  the  end.  So  you  will  not  care  if  they  do  laugh. 
You  will  know  and  will  not  mind  because  you  can  see 


146  CITIZEN,  JR. 

that  the  laugh  and  the  joke  are  really  on  them.  Noah 
let  the  crowd  laugh,  and  went  on  building  the  ark.  You 
can  let  your  crowd  laugh  while  you  go  on  building 
citizenship.  It  isn't  just  comfortable  at  the  time,  but, 
like  Noah,  in  the  end  results  will  justify  your  courage. 

If  you  think  that  it  is  hard  to  wait  until  the  crowd 
finds  out  its  mistake,  perhaps  it  will  help  to  think  a  bit 
about  the  quiet  patient  endurance  of  Jesus  when  the 
soldiers  and  the  crowd  were  mocking  him  and  his  mes- 
sage. You  know  how  they  dressed  him  up  like  a  king 
and  struck  at  him  and  spit  at  him.  If  anybody  did  such 
things  to  you,  probably  you  would  be  insulted  and  might 
want  to  fight  back.  But  Jesus  didn't.  He  did  not  even 
say  a  word.  Now  ask  yourself  this:  Which  takes  the 
greater  courage,  to  fight  back  or  to  be  undisturbed?  Will 
you  achieve  it? 

Sometimes  citizens  "have  their  feelings  hurt."  Did  you 
ever  have  it  happen  to  you?  Yet,  can  anybody  really 
hurt  your  feelings  except  yourself?  Why  do  feelings  get 
hurt  anyhow?  "Somebody  says  something  mean  to  you." 
If  that  hurts,  is  it  because  it  is  true?  If  so,  you  hurt 
yourself  because  you  aren't  willing  to  recognize  your 
fault.  The  baby  seK  in  you  wants  to  think  it  is  perfect 
and  wants  everybody  else  to  think  so  too.  This  is  one  of 
the  times  that  take  real  courage  to  admit  disagreeable 
facts  and  to  change  conduct.  If  the  mean  thing  is  not 
true,  need  you  mind?  Are  you  afraid  of  being  left  out  of 
somebody's  friendship,  of  being  scorned?  Then  you  are 
hurting  yourself.  Make  yourself  worthy  of  the  best 
friendship  in  the  world  and  the  loss  is  the  other  person's, 
not  yours.   Don't  hurt  yourself;  make  yourself. 

If  you  are  "hurt,"  is  it  your  real  citizen  self  that  is  hurt 
or  only  the  proud,  childish  self  that  wants  to  show  that 
it  is  perfect?    Isn't  the  only  injury  that  can  be  done 


TESTS  OF  COURAGE  147 

caused  by  you  when  you  are  less  than  the  shining, 
glorious  being  who  reveals  God's  life?  Anything  in  you 
that  darkens  his  glory  has  to  be  taken  away  as  quickly 
as  possible.  If  a  friend  shows  you  that  you  need  it,  have 
courage  to  be  grateful.   There  is  a  test  in  this. 

There  are  other  ways  that  test  you  for  greater  courage. 
How  about  the  courage  required  not  to  "take  a  dare'' 
when  it  would  be  either  unwise  or  wrong  to  do  as  you 
are  dared?  Or  when  you  have  had  a  big  disappointment, 
and  everything  goes  wrong?    How  about  courage  then? 

What  about  the  courage  that  it  takes  to  stick  at  a  job, 
when  the  fellows  come  and  call  you  while  you  are  "mow- 
ing the  lawn,  or  something"? 

Think  about  Peter,  who  wanted  to  fight  back  when  the 
soldiers  came  to  take  Jesus,  and  who  later  denied,  three 
separate  times,  that  he  even  knew  who  Jesus  was.  Did 
he  find  it  easier  to  fight  or  to  have  the  courage  to  face 
the  crowd?  How  about  you  when  you  have  to  face  yours? 

Which  is  the  greater,  the  courage  to  die,  as  a  soldier 
dies,  or  the  courage  that  it  takes  to  live  right  and  go 
against  the  crowd?  Do  you  have  it? 

Have  you  ever  been  discouraged — when  you  were 
scolded,  maybe — and  thought  to  yourself,  "I  wish  I  were 
dead"?  Or  have  you  been  angry  at  somebody,  perhaps, 
and  thought  to  yourself:  "If  I  would  be  sick  and  die,  it 
would  serve  them  right.  Then  they  would  be  sorry"? 
Whether  you  have  "wished  you  were  dead,"  either  be- 
cause you  were  discouraged  or  because  you  were  wanting 
to  pay  somebody  meanly  for  something  that  offended 
you,  can't  you  see  that  it  was  courage  that  you  needed? 
Living  seemed  too  hard;  you  felt  that  you  were  over- 
whelmed by  something  too  big  for  you  to  overcome.  You 
wanted  to  escape  because  you  needed  the  courage  to  live. 
Somebody  found  fault  with  you,  nagged  you,  blamed  you 


148  CITIZEN,  JR. 

unjustly,  seemed  unkind  and  inconsiderate;  made  you 
feel  inferior  and  oppressed.  You  felt  powerless  to  struggle 
against  them  and  against  the  whole  happening  and  you 
probably  were  not  willing  to  look  at  the  facts  of  your  own 
conduct  justly,  nor  to  admit  whatever  fault  was  there. 
You  were  too  busy  with  the  other  fellow.  You  wanted  to 
escape  him;  you  thought  that  if  you  were  dead,  you'd 
be  out  of  it  all  and  would  "get  even''  with  him.  How  you 
needed  the  superb  courage  to  live  in  God's  wonderful  life, 
instead  of  being  a  coward  who  wanted  to  die! 

By  this  time  you  know  that  it  takes  even  greater 
courage  to  live  than  it  takes  to  die  as  a  soldier  does.  And 
you  know  just  where  a  citizen  can  secure  all  the  strength 
and  power  that  he  needs  for  this  great  undertaking.  "If 
God  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us?"  Go  back  to 
Psalm  27,  in  which  we  found  our  verse  with  the  courage 
secret.  The  very  last  of  the  psalm  will  tell  you  what  you 
must  constantly  do  if  you  are  to  have  the  courage  that 
you  need  for  living. 

To  some  Junior  Citizens — a  few — the  thought  of  death 
seems  terrible.  They  live  in  the  valley  of  its  shadow, 
fearing  its  evil,  though  they  never  tell  anybody  about  it. 
They  are  afraid  to  die  and  afraid  of  the  mystery  of  death. 
Part  of  their  trouble  may  come  from  things  such  as  we 
have  been  discussing,  or  they  may  have  had  a  fright  or 
an  accident  and  crowded  its  memory  back  in  their  minds 
because  it  seemed  too  terrible  to  think  of.  New  courage 
may  come  to  them  by  recalling  all  they  can  of  what 
happened,  and  then  getting  rid  of  their  feeling  by  realizing 
that  it  really  does  not  matter,  for  Jesus  proved  by  his 
dying  and  rising  again  that  life  goes  straight  on  and 
does  not  stop  although  the  body  may  die. 

Whether  or  not  you  are  a  citizen  who  has  had  this  fear 
of  death,  you  may  be  glad  to  read  what  an  American 


TESTS  OF  COURAGE  149 

Indian  felt  as  death  approached  him.  It  is  in  "The 
Change  Song,"  an  interpretation  by  Constance  Lindsey 
Skinner.  Here  are  a  few  lines  from  it. 

"...  There  is  a  sweeter  song,  my  kinsman. 

It  is  the  Change  Song  of  Supreme  One. 

I  hear  it  now, 

He  chants  it  to  my  heart 

Because  pale  death  has  crossed  my  threshold  and 

has  clasped  my  hand. 
Tear  not,'  sings  Supreme  One; 
'I  am  making  pure,  making  pure. 

I  destroy  not  life, 

I  am  Life-Maker.' 


"Ah!  Ah!  my  kinsmen  are  wailing; 
They  saw  me  depart  with  death 
Into  the  White  Change. 
But  I  go  on — and  on! 
And  I  sing  the  Change  Song  of  Supreme  One. 


»» 1 


Closing  Test  Points 

What  arrow-tests  for  courage  wotdd  you  Uke  most  to 
pass,  in  order  to  win  the  citizen  S3mibol  for  courage? 

Have  you  earned  any  points  this  last  week? 

Look  back  to  the  "Finding  Wisdom"  lessons  and  see  if  you 
understand  more  about  what  it  means  when  your  feel- 
ings are  "hurt."  What  is  the  straight  aim  that  you  need 
to  find? 

Have  you  found  the  secret  hidden  in  the  Bible  verse, 

Jehovah  is  my  light  and  my  salvation; 
Whom  shall  I  fear? 
Jehovah  is  the  strength  of  my  life; 
Of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid? 


iProra  "The   Path  and  the  Rainbow."     Used   by   permission  of  Boni  and 
Liverightt  publi^ers. 


GROUP  XII 


•UNLOCK  IT" 


Lessons  23  and  24 

TWO  PUZZLES 

The  next  two  lessons  are 
"A  Rebus/'  and  "Wardrobe 
Puzzles."  They  deal  with  two 
kinds  of  things  that  puzzle 
Junior  Citizens.  A  puzzle  is  a 
mystery.  It  seems  closed  and 
locked,  and  we  have  to  hunt  for 
a  key  that  will  open  it.  A  pad- 
lock has  been  chosen  as  the 
symbol  for  this  group  because  it 
differs  from  an  ordinary  lock.  A 
key  is  needed  to  open  either  kind 
but  how  about  the  closing? 
Which  one  operates  automatically?  If  we  can  get  the 
right  key  for  our  two  puzzles,  we  should  be  able  to  secure 
citizen-choices  that  will  be  as  dependable  as  a  padlock 
when  it  closes.  Once  started  the  thing  is  practically  done. 
Think  back  to  Lesson  i  as  you  study  these  new  ones, 
and  see  if  this  sentence  is  the  key  to  select  for  opening 
our  padlock:  "Seek  First  the  Kingdom.'' 

LESSON  23 

A  REBUS 

Do  you  know  the  kind  of  puzzle  that  is  called  a  rebus? 
The  kind  where  you  have  to  work  out  the  meaning  by 
putting  together  a  string  of  pictures,  letters,  etc.?    Here 

150 


TWO  PUZZLES  151 

is  a  very  short,  simple,  easy  one  that  will  tell  you  of  one 
puzzle  that  Junior  Citizens  have  to  solve. 


en:  $5  bill  :ING 

If  you  aren't  able  to  read  it  now,  perhaps  you  will  be 
after  you  have  read  the  Bible  verse  that  follows.  It  tells 
a  lot  about  the  big  puzzle  as  well  as  the  little  one.  It  is 
Galatians  5:  25,  26: 

If  we  live  by  the  Spirit,  by  the  Spirit  let  us  also 
walk.  Let  us  not  become  vainglorious,  provoking  one 
another,  envying  one  another. 

Now  turn  to  Genesis  25:  29-34  and  Genesis  27: 41,  the 
story  of  Jacob  and  Esau.  Of  course  you  are  familiar  with 
the  story  from  having  studied  it  before,  but  you  probably 
never  thought  about  it  in  connection  with  citizenship. 
Suppose  you  work  it  out  now,  just  as  if  it  were  a  puzzle. 
How  did  Jacob  violate  the  rules  of  the  citizenship  of  the 
good?  You  remember  that  we  spoke  of  them  in  other 
lessons.  Why  was  it  wrong  for  him  to  do  as  he  did?  What 
was  the  reason  for  his  wrong  choosing? 

Junior  Citizens  of  to-day  do  not  have  to  think  about 
"birthrights,"  but  there  are  some  other  things  about 
which  they  often  show  envy  or  jealousy.  Here  is  a  sort 
of  outline  list  that  you  can  fill  up  with  items  as  you 
think  of  them. 

I.    Favors  4.    Presents  from  People 


2.    Money  5.    Friends  or  Position 


3.    Possessions  6.    Opportunities 


152  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Next  you  might  think  out  the  kind  of  actions  and  ex- 
periences that  citizens  often  bring  about  by  their  envious, 
jealous  attitudes.  What  is  wrong — the  root  of  the  wrong 
choosing?  Think  back  to  the  verse  from  Galatians  that 
tells  about  the  rebus  and  then  turn  to  Galatians  5: 13-15 
and  Romans  13 : 8-10,  and  see  how  these  verses  are  re- 
lated to  the  puzzle  that  Juniors  have  to  solve.  You  might 
also  look  up  Genesis  4:  5-8  and  i  John  3:15.  If  anger  is 
a  disguised  murder  desire,  how  about  the  conduct  of 
Junior  Citizens  when  they  show  envy  and  jealousy  to- 
ward others?  If  murder  feelings  are  poison  to  the  one 
who  has  them,  love  is  the  antidote  for  them.  And  love 
is  of  God.  Since  this  is  the  case,  what  is  the  key  to  the 
puzzle? 

Since  you  have  gone  this  far,  maybe  you  would  like  to 
work  out  the  citizenship  damages — present  and  future — 
that  come  from  envious,  jealous  living  and  choosing.  Go 
over  your  list  and  think  of  the  results  to  the  citizen  and 
to  others,  both  now  and  later,  that  might  result  from 
such  life  standards. 

What  does  "playing  fair"  require  of  a  citizen  in  such 
circumstances?  There  are  two  sides  to  this  question.  The 
right-hand  side  can  represent  what  concerns  the  citizen 
himself  and  let  the  left-hand  represent  what  others 
must  do  when  a  citizen  commits  a  misdemeanor  of  this 
kind. 

What  big  reason  for  choosing  the  best  line  of  conduct 
wiU  make  the  right  choice  as  easy  as  deciding  whether  to 
take  a  shining  new  penny  or  a  dollar  gold  piece?  What 
you  have  learned  in  other  lessons  should  help  you  to 
answer,  and  the  slogan  for  this  group  may  also  help  you 
to  decide. 

But  do  you  know  how  a  citizen  can  seek  the  Kingdom 
of  the  Good — when  he  does  not  want  to?  That  is  a  rather 


TWO  PUZZLES  153 

big  puzzle  too.  He  can  pray  to  want  to  choose  the  King- 
dom way  of  living — to  want  to  be  good,  to  want  to  love. 
If  he  finds  that  he  is  not  quite  sure  that  he  even  wants 
to  pray  to  want  this,  he  can  pray  to  want  to  want  it.  Or 
he  may  even  have  to  go  back  still  further  before  he  can 
find  a  prayer  that  he  can  pray  with  his  whole  heart  and 
nothing  held  back.  Then  he  can  pray  to  want  to  want 
to  want  to  be  good  and  to  show  God's  love.  Maybe  that 
sounds  to  you  something  like  the  nursery  rhyme  about 
the  old  woman  whose  pig  wouldn't  jump  over  the  stile: 
"Water,  water,  quench  fire;  fire  won't  burn  stick,  stick 
won't  beat  dog,  dog  won't  bite  pig,  pig  won't  jump  over 
the  stile,  and  I  shan't  get  home  to-night!"  But  you  will 
find  that  if  you  try  this  sort  of  praying,  especially  for  love, 
your  stubborn  pig  of  an  "I  don't  want  to"  will  start  to 
jump  over  the  stile  even  though  it  may  seem  impossible. 

Perhaps,  too,  it  will  help  you  to  make  him  go  if  you 
realize  why  you  are  envious  or  jealous.  Isn't  it  true  that 
you  are  imitating  a  baby  in  this?  You  want  everything 
you  see  others  having  and  you  cry  with  your  actions  if 
you  can't  have  what  you  want.  Aren't  you  trying  to 
prove  that  you  are  "just  as  good  as  anybody  else"  even 
if  you  have  to  be  mean  to  do  it?  Fimny,  isn't  it,  when  you 
come  to  think  of  it? — ^rather  baby  reasons  for  choosing 
and  for  conduct! 

When  you  are  tying  up  a  package,  every  time  you  put 
the  twine  around  and  tie  it  the  bundle  is  fastened  more 
securely.  The  same  thing  happens  with  envying  and 
jealousy  and  feelings  like  them.  Each  time  they  are  re- 
peated makes  another  twist  in  the  rope  of  the  habit  that 
binds  you  tight  until  it  becomes  very  hard  for  you  to  get 
away  when  you  are  a  grown-up  citizen.  Is  this  a  good 
reason  for  watching  your  choosing,  time  after  time  and 
year  after  year? 


154  CITIZEN,  JR. 

When  you  choose  the  loving  way  of  true  citizenship 
and  overcome  your  envy  or  jealousy  by  straight  thinking, 
the  prayer  that  brings  a  beautiful  spirit  and  kindly  action, 
then  you  build  a  habit  of  a  different  kind.  Every  fine 
choice  you  make  is  like  a  bit  of  practice  in  playing  the 
violin  or  the  piano.  At  first  your  fingers  may  not  be  quite 
right  and  the  tones  may  not  be  perfect,  but  as  you  go 
on  trying  and  practicing  you  become  able  to  play  more 
and  more  difficult  pieces  and  your  music  becomes  more 
beautiful.  The  loving  choice  is  truly  the  key  of  your 
citizen  music. 

This  habit  of  choosing  lovingly  will  make  a  marvelous 
change  in  the  citizen  that  you  are  making.  When  you 
are  grown,  instead  of  showing  that  the  demons  of  envious, 
jealous  thoughts  are  living  in  your  body,  you  will  have 
the  likeness  of  the  Son  of  God.  Surely,  this  is  the  choice 
to  make! 

Puzzle  Thinking 

How  are  jealousy  and  envy  **imripe''  living? 

Have  you  seen  a  citizen  who  merited  a  symbol  picture  for 

being  generous  and  thoughtful  of  others  where  some 

persons  would  have  been  envious  or  jealous? 
If  somebody  shows  envy  or  jealousy  toward  you,  what  can 

you  do  that  will  make  you  a  quality  citizen  instead  of 

an  inferior  one  ? 
Memorize  the  verses,  Galatians  5:  25,  26,  that  express  the 

rebus  of  the  puzzle  you  have  been  studying,  and  that 

give  its  solution. 

LESSON  24 

WARDROBE  PUZZLES 

There  is  a  difference  between  the  puzzles  that  boys 
have  about  clothes,  etc.,  and  the  ones  that  girls  must 


TWO  PUZZLES  155 

solve.  Let  us  see  if  we  can  say  it  in  a  sentence.  How  is 
this?  Boys  usually  are  as  "scarecrow  careless''  as  the  girls 
are  "baby  doll  fussy."  And  yet,  aren't  both  boys  and 
girls  often  puzzled  because  they  can't  be  allowed  to  do 
just  as  they  please  about  what  they  wear  and  how  they 
look?    So  here  their  puzzles  combine. 

Don't  you  think  it  would  be  interesting  to  think  out 
what  these  puzzles  have  to  do  with  citizenship  and  what 
solutions  we  can  find  for  them?  Perhaps  we'd  better 
begin  at  home,  for  there  is  where  a  citizen  often  feels  the 
troublesome  puzzle. 

Home  Citizenship, 

Is  it  fair  to  the  home  folks  to  be  untidy  and  careless, 
or  so  busy  "dolling  up"  and  going  that  you  don't  want 
to  take  your  share  of  the  homemaking  privileges? 

Is  it  fair  to  make  it  necessary  for  the  folks  at  home  to 
keep  reminding  you  about  hair-brushing,  teeth-cleaning, 
and  attention  to  nails  and  clothing,  untidy  bureau 
drawers  and  clothes  presses,  etc.?  You  aren't  a  baby  who 
has  to  have  these  things  attended  to  for  you.  Why  not 
look  after  them  yourself  instead  of  making  it  necessary 
for  other  folks  to  do  them  for  you  with  their  minds  and 
tongues!  Where  are  your  initiative  and  your  independ- 
ence in  these  things? 

It  is  all  right  to  want  to  be  attractive  and  to  have  nice 
clothes,  but  do  you  think  it  is  fair  to  be  wasteful  of  your 
parents'  money  either  by  being  careless  of  your  clothes 
or  by  demanding  expensive  things  for  everyday  wear,  or 
wanting  to  wear  your  very  best  all  the  time? 

School  Citizenship, 

Have  you  ever  thought  that  carelessness  in  personal 
appearance  is  just  about  equal  to  saying:  "I  don't  care 
whether  I'm  an  agreeable,  pleasing  person!  I'm  satisfied 


156  CITIZEN,  JR. 

as  long  as  I  can  do  as  I  please  and  don't  have  to  bother"? 
Did  you  ever  happen  to  think  that  careless  personal 
habits  might  lead  people  to  misjudge  you  and  give  them 
the  impression  that  you  haven't  the  fine  qualities  of 
citizenship  that  you  feel  you  possess?  How  do  you  feel, 
yourself,  when  you  see  a  neat,  clean,  attractive  person 
beside  one  who  is  careless  and  untidy  in  grooming.  Which 
would  you  expect  to  succeed  better  in  the  business  world? 
Would  you  think  it  appropriate  if  the  teacher  came  with 
dirty  face  and  hands  and  uncombed  hair?  Or  if  the 
minister  got  up  to  preach  in  a  pair  of  overalls  or  with 
hands  and  face  smeared  after  working  on  his  automobile? 
Why,  then,  should  you  excuse  yourself  from  grooming 
yourself  nicely?  Where  is  there  any  real  difference? 

And,  girls — how  about  it?  Does  a  woman  think  it 
suitable  to  wear  a  party  dress  when  getting  the  break- 
fast, or  cleaning  the  windows,  or  going  to  market?  Why 
should  you  want  to  be  "dolled  up"  all  the  time  regardless 
of  whether  it  is  appropriate  or  not?  Think  out  what 
"suitable"  dress  should  be — the  kind  that  suits  what  you 
are  doing  at  the  time  you  wear  it,  and  that  truly  ex- 
presses you. 

Have  you  such  an  exaggerated  sense  of  your  own  im- 
portance that  you  want  to  try  to  outdress  others?  Is  it 
"fair" — even  though  you  succeed  in  persuading  your 
parents  to  buy  you  the  things  you  want  and  demand — 
if  your  having  them  and  wearing  them  makes  other  girls 
uncomfortable  or  demand  more  than  their  parents  can 
afford  for  them?  Are  you  at  all  responsible  for  them? 

Exaggerated  dress  is  much  like  singing  at  the  top  of 
your  voice  as  you  go  along  the  street  to  attract  attention. 
It  is  out  of  place.  And  it  may  cause  people  to  misjudge 
you.  Think  out  ways  in  which  this  is  true. 

In  many  schools  either  the  girls  or  the  authorities  have 


TWO  PUZZLES  157 

set  definite  limits  for  the  dress  of  the  girls  who  attend. 
What  is  the  standard  in  your  school?  Do  you  see  an 
opportunity  for  you  and  your  friends,  as  good  citizens, 
to  show  some  fine  initiative  in  deciding  the  dress  problems 
on  a  basis  of  citizenship  instead  of  letting  matters  go  as 
they  have  been?  What  is  your  share  in  bringing  your 
school  to  a  better  standard? 

Citizenship  of  the  Good. 

If  you  will  turn  to  i  Corinthians  6: 19-20  you  will  find 
verses  something  like  some  that  we  referred  to  in  the 
lessons  of  another  group.  But  look  especially  at  the  last 
part  of  this  and  see  if  you  find  in  it  a  key  for  the  clothing 
puzzles  of  both  boys  and  girls — "Glorify  God,  therefore, 
in  your  body."  If  you  really  feel  that  your  body  is  a 
temple  of  God's  Spirit,  will  you  want  to  be  careless  or 
exaggerated  in  your  dress?  Which  sort  of  choosing  would 
put  God  into  second  place  and  you  as  the  deity  of  the 
temple?  Would  such  choosing  and  living  make  the  superb 
sort  of  citizen  that  you  are  wanting  to  become?  Is  it  your 
wish  to  live  in  a  way  that  seems  to  say,  "I  don't  care 
anything  about  this  old  temple.  Anything  will  do.  It  is 
too  much  bother  to  be  careful"?  And  do  you  think,  girls, 
that  a  church  should  be  fixed  up  to  look  like  a  picture 
show?  How  about  your  personal  "temple"?  Does  it 
"glorify  God"? 

More  Puzzle  Thinking 

A  man  called  ''Beau  Brummel,"  who  was  famous  for  being 
the  best-dressed  man  of  his  time,  was  told  by  someone 
that  a  certain  man  was  so  well  dressed  that  everybody 
on  the  streets  turned  to  look  at  him.  Beau  Brummel 
replied  that  if  that  were  the  case,  the  man  was  not  truly 
well  dressed  or  he  would  not  have  attracted  attention. 
Do  you  understand  what  he  meant? 


158  CITIZEN,  JR. 

If  the  soldiers  found  that  it  was  a  great  help  to  be  neat 
and  clean  and  to  keep  themselves  tidily  in  order,  is 
there  any  reason  why  Junior  Citizens  should  let  them- 
selves be  careless? 

How  have  you  pictured  the  way  that  a  citizen  of  the  king- 
dom of  God  should  appear? 

Do  you  think  that  we  foimd  the  right  key  to  our  puz- 
zles in  the  words,  *'Seek  first  the  Kingdom"? 


GROUP  XIII 


'COUNT  UP" 


Lessons  25  and  26 

COUNTING  UP 

Most  citizens  would  like  to 
have  a  well-filled  purse.  If  some- 
body gave  you  one,  you  would 
enjoy  counting  up  what  was  in 
it  to  see  how  much  it  was  worth. 
You  would  be  greatly  disap- 
pointed if  you  found  bills  that 
were  counterfeit  or  coins  from  a 
country  whose  currency  is  not 
worth  the  same  as  ours  and  not 
accepted  here.  You  would  want 
them  to  have  full  value  and  be 
of  an  acceptable  standard. 
On  account  of  this  a  purse  is  the  symbol  for  these  next 
lessons,  to  represent  the  measure  of  value  that  true 
citizens  want  for  their  living  and  loving  and  doing.  They 
do  not  wish  counterfeits,  nor  do  they  desire  what  is  un- 
worthy. 

King  Solomon  at  the  beginning  of  his  reign  dreamed 
that  he  had  made  a  true  citizen's  choice.  Instead  of 
choosing  riches,  honor  and  other  things  of  that  kind,  he 
asked  for  something  else  and  received  God's  approval  of 
it.  You  can  read  what  God  said  to  him,  in  i  Kings  3 : 
10-14.  Here  is  a  part  of  his  prayer  that  every  Junior 
Citizen  might  use:  "Give  thy  servant  an  understanding 
heart." 

159 


i6o  CITIZEN,  JR. 

LESSON  25 
MONKEY  LIVING 

Do  you  remember  about  the  Bandar-Log  that  we 
talked  of  once  before?  In  the  story  of  "Kaa's  Hunting" 
of  the  Bandar-Log  there  are  some  places  that  are  funny 
because  of  the  way  that  they  show  up  counterfeit  living 
whether  in  monkeys  or  in  people.  One  place  is  where  the 
monkeys  are  described  as  they  acted  in  the  Deserted 
City. 

There,  in  the  hall  of  the  King's  council-chamber,  they 
would  sit  in  groups,  scratching  for  fleas  and  pretending 
to  be  men.  They  would  scamper  through  the  passages 
and  rooms  and  tunnels,  forgetting  whether  they  had  been 
in  them  before  or  not.  As  they  moved  around  in 
crowds  they  would  say  that  they  were  doing  as  men 
did.  And  though  they  muddied  the  water  in  the  tanks 
when  they  drank  they  declared  they  were  the  wisest, 
best,  strongest,  cleverest  and  gentlest  people  of  the 
Jungle.  And  you  remember  how  they  were  always 
wanting  to  be  ^'noticed"  by  the  Jungle  people  and 
would  do  almost  anything  to  attract  their  attention. 
And  then  at  the  close  of  the  story  there  is  a  funny 
verse  which  says  that  they  tried  to  remember  all  the 
different  kinds  of  talk  they  had  ever  heard — that  of 
bats  and  beasts  and  birds  and  fishes — and  then  jabber 
it  all  at  once,  in  order  to  make  it  seem  that  they  were 
talking  just  like  men! 

Silly  imitators,  weren't  they!  But  there  are  people 
who  '^ape"  the  clothes  and  manners  and  speech  of  others 
in  just  such  an  unthinking  way.  They  are  what  children 
caU  "copy  cats."  Perhaps  you  know  persons  who  are 
like  that — always  imitating,  always  going  with  the  crowd, 
deciding  the  right  or  the  wrong  of  their  conduct  by,  "All 


COUNTING  UP  i6i 

the  rest  are  doing  it."  They  follow  all  the  silly  fads  they 
see,  and  make  freak  fashions  more  extreme  as  they  try 
to  keep  up  with  "the  latest  style."  What  monkeys  they 
are!   what  Bandar-Logs! 

What  has  become  of  the  fine  originality  and  initiative 
and  self-reliance  that  these  people  should  be  showing? 

In  the  Bible,  in  the  story  of  David  and  Goliath  you 
will  enjoy  seeing  how  David  refused  to  do  any  such 
monkey  living,  but  trusted  to  the  weapon  he  knew  and 
to  the  blessing  and  power  of  God.  You  will  find  it  in 
I  Samuel  17:33-50.  As  you  read  it  again  notice  verses 
38-40  and  verse  45. 

David  wasn't  going  to  spoil  everything  by  imitating 
unwisely,  but  chose  to  be  himself,  even  though  he  might 
be  ridiculed.  He  knew  which  was  the  better  choice  and 
did  not  mind.  Put  these  two  verses  together  and  see  the 
superb  citizen  choosing  that  David  showed — this: 

And  David  said  unto  Saul,  I  cannot  go  with  these; 
for  I  have  not  proved  them. 

and  this: 

Then  said  David  to  the  Philistine,  Thou  comest  to 
me  with  a  sword,  and  with  a  spear,  and  with  a 
javelin;  but  I  come  to  thee  in  the  name  of  Jehovah 
of  hosts,  the  God  of  the  armies  of  Israel  whom  thou 
hast  defied. 

Here  are  some  items  suggesting  ways  in  which  Junior 
Citizens  are  not  always  so  sure  as  David  in  their  choosing. 
You  will  want  to  think  them  over  and  discuss  them  in 
class. 

1.  It  is  not  the  clothes  that  count  as  much  as  my 
attitude  and  conduct  as  I  wear  them. 

2.  If  I  do  "movie"  thinking  and  fussy  '^fashion-plate" 
living,  I  am  not  expressing  my  true  self. 


i62  CITIZEN,  JR. 

3.  Good  grooming — the  nice  attention  to  hair,  teeth, 
nails  and  details  of  dress — is  more  important  than  the 
width  of  my  ribbons,  the  size  and  shape  of  my  collars, 
and  the  way  my  hair  is  cut  or  arranged. 

4.  In  selecting  manners  and  ways  of  speech,  the  form 
is  not  the  most  important  thing,  but  the  reason  and  spirit 
behind  them.  I  will  learn  to  pick  and  choose  in  these 
things  in  order  to  find  the  best. 

5.  If  the  hoops  of  a  barrel  slip  off,  the  staves  all  clatter 
apart  and  fall  in  different  directions.  I  will  find  a  big, 
strong  purpose  to  hold  my  living  in  shape  so  that  it  may 
not  go  to  pieces  in  unwise  imitation  of  what  other  people 
do. 

David's  purpose  may  help  you  here.  And  Solomon's 
prayer  may  become  the  voice  of  your  own  soul's  need. 

Exercises 
Write  in  your  own  words  for  your  notebook  what  David's 

purpose  was  in  not  using  Saul's  armor.   How  can  it  be 

a  citizen's  purpose? 
Is  there  any  connection  between  this  story  about  David 

and  the  lesson  on  self-reliance?  Explain. 
How  many  tests  of  courage  did  David  undergo  in  the  story 

you  have  been  studying?  Look  over  the  whole  tale  from 

the  time  of  his  arrival  at  the  Israelite  camp.    What, 

exactly,  were  these  tests  of  courage  that  he  met? 
How  can  you  learn  to  draw  the  line  about  fads  and 

fashions,  **movie"  conduct,  story-book  living,  and  the 

manners  and   ways   of  older  people  whom  you  are 

watching? 
What  is  the  value  of  an  imitator's  ptirse  filled  with  Bandar- 

Log  thinking,  choosing,  doing? 
What  is  the  difference  between  wise  imitation  of  a  good 

example  and  what  we  have  called  monkey  living? 
How  can  you,  as  a  strong  citizen,  help  the  weaker  ones 

who  are  copying  you?  Will  you  be  a  David? 


COUNTING  UP  163 

LESSON  26 
CITIZEN  TREASURES 

"Where  thy  treasure  is,  there  will  thy  heart  be  also." 
Matthew  6:  21. 

Older  people — sometimes  what  we  call  good  people — 
once  in  a  while  make  it  very  hard  for  Junior  Citizens  to 
work  out  the  values  of  conduct- treasure;  the  kind  that  we 
want  to  discover  in  this  lesson.  Every  now  and  then  some 
person  whom  we  have  admired,  or  to  whom  we  have 
looked  for  good  example,  says  or  does  things  that  make 
Junior  Citizens  uncertain  about  what  are  the  really  im- 
portant things.  Again  and  again  some  smart  trick  is 
praised  that  is  not  quite  fair  to  somebody.  These  "good'' 
people  are  not  good  enough  to  see  the  very  great  dif- 
ference that  there  is  between  true  and  false  smartness; 
between  the  kind  that  takes  brains  and  character,  and  the 
kind  that  is  trickery  and  thieving  and  roguery  in  disguise. 
For  example,  when  the  question  of  money-getting  is  the 
problem,  an  older  person  may  say  of  someone,  "I  don't 
blame  him  for  it,  everybody  has  to  look  out  for  himself," 
just  as  if  that  excused  meanness,  dishonesty,  and  not 
giving  the  other  fellow  the  square  deal  that  you  would 
want  for  yourself !  Then  when  younger  citizens  hear  these 
things  said  by  people  to  whom  they  look  up,  they  begin 
to  wonder  whether  what  they  have  been  taught  about 
right  and  wrong  is  true,  and  whether  the  principles  of 
Jesus  are  just  something  to  be  talked  about  on  Sundays, 
but  too  hard  or  even  impossible  to  follow  through  the 
week.  How  can  they  know  that  such  talk  is  like  what 
Jesus  described  as  "wolves  in  sheep's  clothing"  ?  (See 
Matthew  7:  15.) 

"What  shall  a  man  be  profited  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole 
world  and  forfeit  his  life?"  asks  Jesus  in  Matthew  16:  26. 


i64  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Money  and  success  are  good  and  important,  but  if  a 
citizen  sells  himself  in  order  to  make  the  bargain,  is  it 
really  worth  while?  If  money  were  the  chief  thing  we 
were  after  in  this  world,  then  it  wouldn't  matter  so  much 
if  a  citizen  made  himself  "a  cheap  skate,"  a  liar  and  a 
cheat  in  order  to  get  it. 

See  if  you  agree  with  the  person  who  answered  a  dis- 
couraged citizen  by  saying,  "It  all  depends  on  the  way 
you  do  your  bookkeeping.''  There  are  things  of  greater 
value  than  money  or  success  or  position  that  you  must 
put  into  the  account.  These  things  have  spiritual  values 
far  greater  than  can  be  reckoned  in  money. 

You  may  like  to  look  up  some  references  in  your  Bible 
so  as  to  study  the  stories  of  three  different  sets  of  people 
who  made  some  imperfect  reckonings.  The  first  is  the 
account  of  Eli's  sons.  You  wiU  find  it  in  i  Samuel  2:12- 
17.  Think  carefully  as  you  read  it  and  see  what  was 
wrong  with  their  figuring. 

Next  we  will  go  back  to  the  story  of  Jacob  and  Esau 
again  to  see  whether  Jacob  reaUy  gained  as  much  as  he 
lost  by  his  sharp  dealings  with  Esau  and  his  dishonesty 
to  his  father  (Genesis  27:2-25),  and  see  how  Esau 
counted  up  values  (Genesis  25:32-34). 

The  third  place  to  look  up  is  about  the  rich  young  ruler 
who  came  to  Jesus  to  find  out  about  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  Luke  18:18-30.  Jesus  saw  that  money  was 
worth  more  in  this  young  man's  eyes  than  character  or 
helping  other  people,  so  he  gave  him  a  test  that  showed 
him  how  he  was  counting  things  up. 

After  you  have  thought  about  these  people  you  may 
like  to  begin  working  out  the  same  principles  in  some  true 
stories  of  people  who  are  living  nowadays. 

A  woman  who  was  hiring  a  teacher  for  a  private  school 
had  engaged  one  for  a  salary  which  was  satisfactory  to 


COUNTING  UP  165 

the  teacher.  But  when  word  came  from  former  employers 
telling  how  valuable  the  teacher  had  been  to  them;  in- 
stead of  congratulating  herself  on  having  secured  a  bar- 
gain in  the  teacher,  the  woman  in  charge  raised  the  salary 
without  being  asked,  saying  that  the  teacher  would  be 
worth  that  much  more  to  the  school.  How  do  you  reckon 
up  the  honesty  values  of  this  decision  and  action? 

A  banker  knew  a  widow  who  owned  a  nice  farm.  He 
knew  also  somebody  who  wanted  to  buy  one.  He  went 
to  the  widow  representing  himself  to  be  her  friend  who 
wanted  to  help  her  get  the  money  out  of  the  place  and 
into  a  good  investment.  He  persuaded  her  to  sell  the 
farm  to  him  for  what  seemed  like  a  good  price  to  the 
widow.  Then  as  soon  as  he  had  possession  he  turned 
around  and  sold  the  farm  to  the  man  that  wanted  one, 
putting  hundreds  of  dollars  into  his  own  pockets.  What 
were  the  citizenship  values  of  a  bargain  like  this?  How 
do  you  think  he  was  regarded  by  his  fellow  townsmen 
after  such  a  bit  of  trickery? 

Now,  a  story  just  the  reverse  of  the  last  one.  An 
American  living  in  China  needed  a  place  in  the  mountains 
where  he  could  take  his  family  during  the  deadly  heat  of 
the  summers.  He  owned  a  lot  but  was  not  yet  ready  to 
build.  No  place  was  available  for  renting,  but  a  chance 
came  to  buy  a  house  that  needed  repairs  and  alterations 
in  order  to  make  it  satisfactory.  The  price  asked  by  the 
Russian  woman  who  owned  it  seemed  too  high,  but  the 
American  paid  it  to  get  the  place.  After  the  remodeling 
was  done  it  was  found  that  the  sale  had  really  been  a 
bargain.  A  year  or  so  later  when  he  sold  it  again  a  large 
profit  was  cleared.  Then  the  American  and  his  wife  sat 
down  and  figured  out  just  how  much  they  felt  they  should 
share  with  the  woman  from  whom  they  had  bought.  A 
check  with  an  amount  in  three  figures  was  what  they  sent 


i66  CITIZEN,  JR. 

to  her.  Of  course  they  were  not  legally  compelled  to  do 
it.  They  felt  that  it  was  only  fair  to  her  to  do  so.  They 
were  not  wealthy  themselves,  but  missionaries  on  a  salary 
from  which  they  had  managed  by  economy  to  save  dur- 
ing years,  enough  for  the  little  place  in  the  mountains 
away  from  the  fearful  heat  of  summers  in  the  city  where 
they  were  stationed.  The  extra  money  would  have  helped 
to  build  the  new  house,  yet  they  felt  that  they  would 
rather  pay  it  to  the  woman  than  use  it  in  that  way. 
What  qualities  of  citizenship  did  they  show?  Were  they 
right  in  their  choosing?  What  citizenship  rule  did  they 
follow? 

Perhaps  you  have  overheard  people  telling  of  things 
like  these  that  have  happened,  both  good  and  bad,  that 
you  can  tell  about  in  class  to  see  how  the  citizenship  tests 
apply.  Perhaps  you  have  known  of  Junior  Citizens  who 
did  the  honorable  thing  when  they  might  have  done 
differently.   See  if  you  can  tell  some  in  class. 

Before  you  stop  this  lesson  suppose  you  stretch  your 
imagination  a  little  to  make  it  reach  to  the  time  when 
you  are  a  full-grown  citizen  yourself.  If  you  have  learned 
to  judge  values  now,  to  put  character  first  and  not  money, 
do  you  think  you  will  know  later  what  to  do  if  someone 
asks  you  to  take  part  in  a  grafting  scheme  or  some  under- 
hand business?  Will  it  be  any  easier  to  decide?  If  a  per- 
son sells  himself  out  to  secure  special  privileges  that  would 
be  unfair  to  others,  what  is  wrong  with  his  reckoning? 
Do  you  see  how  a  person  who  violates  citizen  rules  sells 
himself  "cheap'7 

Working  It  Out 

Why  is  **graft"  wrong? 

Give  some  examples  of  ways  in  which  Junior  Citizens  are 

tempted  to  sell  themselves  cheap.    Is  there  any  test  of 

courage  to  be  met  in  these  things? 


COUNTING  UP  167 

What  is  the  difference  between  true  and  false  smartness? 
Is  it  right  to  "do  a  friend  a  favor"  if  by  so  doing  you 

violate  citizen  rules?   Just  what  can  you  do  in  such  a 

case? 
If  a  citizen *s  chief  desire  is  to  show  the  glory  of  God,  how 

can  this  become  a  citizen  test  for  conduct  treasure? 
Memorize  Solomon's  prayer  and  decide  why  it  is  of  value 

for  these  lessons.    Here  it  is  again:   **Give  thy  servant 

an  understanding  heart." 


••GUARD  THE  GATE' 


GROUP  XIV 

Lessons  27  and  28 

THE  KEEPER  OF  THE  GATE 

The  month  of  January  is  at 
one  of  the  gates  of  time  where  a 
year  comes  in  as  another  goes 
out.  It  borrowed  its  name  from 
Janus,  the  god  of  gates  and 
doors  among  the  Roman  peo- 
ple. They  thought  he  had  two 
faces  so  that  he  might  look  in 
both  directions  and  guard  the 
ways. 

As  a  citizen  you  can  be  a 
Janus  who  watches  and  guards 
the  goings  and  comings  of 
money.  You  can  find  out  when  to  open  and  close  the 
gateway  and  the  reasons  for  doing  so.  That  is  why  a  gate 
is  the  symbol  for  these  two  lessons,  "Your  Money's 
Worth"  and  "Goblins  and  Genii."  You  can  have  a  most 
interesting  time  experimenting  as  you  become  the  guar- 
dian of  the  portal. 

Here  is  a  citizen-thought  that  you  may  like  to  keep  in 
mind  as  you  study:  "Money  has  twin  faces.  One  side  is 
Life  and  the  other  is  Opportunity.^^ 

LESSON  27 

YOUR  MONEY'S  WORTH 

When  you  have  a  nickel  do  you  look  at  it  as  merely  a 
coin,  a  thing  that  will  buy  you  something  you  like — 

168 


THE  KEEPER  OF  THE  GATE  169 

chocolate  peppermints,  maybe?  Are  you  sure  that  you 
know  what  any  piece  of  money  means? 

Perhaps  it  will  be  interesting  to  think  back  to  the  times 
before  money  was  used.  A  man  has  written  a  book  about 
money  for  older  boys  and  girls.  In  telling  about  the  time 
before  there  was  money  he  says  that  when  "some  people 
found  that  they  could  make  certain  things  much  better 
than  their  neighbors  they  made  more  of  these  things 
therefore  than  they  themselves  needed.  These  they  ex- 
changed for  such  other  articles  as  their  companions  were 
willing  to  give  up.  It  was  precisely  the  same  principle  as 
that  on  which  two  boys  'swap'  a  jackknife  for  a  fishing 
rod,  or  two  little  girls  exchange  a  doll  for  a  ring." 

The  same  thing  still  goes  on,  for  instance  among  the 
peoples  of  the  far  north,  who  exchange  furs  for  the  things 
brought  by  traders.  In  Africa  too  the  same  kind  of  ex- 
change still  keeps  up,  where  the  natives  give  ivory  and 
other  products  of  their  region  for  the  traders'  supplies.  In 
all  of  these  there  is  a  "trading''  of  a  thing  that  represents 
one  person's  efforts,  for  something  that  required  another 
person's  time  and  strength  to  prepare. 

The  first  kind  of  money  used  seems  to  have  been  metal 
rings  of  different  sizes.  Perhaps  this  had  its  beginning  in 
ornaments  like  finger  rings,  bracelets,  anklets,  etc.  There 
are  still  some  countries  in  the  world  where  a  man's 
wealth  is  computed  by  the  value  and  weight  of  the 
collars,  bracelets,  etc.,  that  are  possessed  by  his  wife  or 
wives. 

In  connection  with  this  early  "ring"  money  you  will 
be  interested  to  know  that  it  is  the  kind  referred  to  most 
commonly  in  the  Bible.  If  you  will  look  in  a  Bible 
dictionary  under  the  word  "money,"  you  will  find  all 
sorts  of  interesting  things  that  will  help  you  to  under- 
stand references  in  the  Bible.  You  can  have  as  much  fun 


lyo  CITIZEN,  JR. 

studying  them  out  as  you  have  when  you  are  collecting 
stamps  and  old  coins  and  read  up  about  them. 

One  thing  that  you  will  discover  is  that  the  word 
^'talent"  (the  story  of  the  ten,  five  and  one  talents,  you 
know)  means  a  circle  or  ring,  and  that  it  was  a  very  large 
piece  that  weighed  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds. 
You  may  also  find  a  picture  taken  from  the  inscriptions 
on  old  Egyptian  monuments  showing  a  man  weighing 
ring  money.  This  picture  is  in  a  Bible  dictionary  that  is 
bound  with  the  special  ^'concordance"  for  the  American 
Revised  Version  of  the  Bible.  Perhaps  your  minister  may 
have  a  copy  that  he  would  let  you  examine  and  take  to 
class. 

As  you  probably  know,  before  modern  threshing 
machines  were  invented,  it  took  a  long  time  and  much 
hard  work  to  thresh  out  the  grain  that  a  farmer  grew. 
Here  is  an  old  saying  that  was  a  bitter  jest  about  the 
way  some  people  spent  hard-earned  money. 

"Come  easy,  go  easy, 
Daddy  made  it  threshing." 

Everybody  in  those  times  understood  how  unkind  and 
inconsiderate  a  son  or  daughter  was  who  could  spend 
money  easily  and  unthinkingly  just  because  it  came 
into  his  hands  or  hers  without  costing  them  hard 
work. 

Contrast  with  this  what  a  college  student  said  in  regard 
to  what  money  means.  "Whenever  I  think  that  I'd  like 
to  buy  something — clothes,  or  candy,  or  a  tablet,  or  a 
book  or  a  ticket  for  an  entertainment  course — I  stop  and 
think  of  my  father  and  then  of  the  money.  I  remember 
how  hard  he  has  to  work  in  order  to  earn  it,  so  as  I  think 
of  the  money  that  the  thing  would  cost,  I  say  to  myself: 
^This  represents  a  piece  of  my  father.   Is  what  I  want  to 


THE  KEEPER  OF  THE  GATE  171 

buy  worth  that  much  of  him?^  And  that  helps  me  to 
decide  whether  to  spend  it  or  not." 

In  a  college  paper  the  student  editors  put  this,  which 
shows  what  they  thought  of  the  way  that  some  folks 
spend  money:  "If  you  haven't  earned  at  least  a  part  of 
the  money  to  pay  for  your  course  by  the  time  you  have 
reached  your  senior  year  in  college,  it  will  take  a  rich 
daddy  to  support  you  after  you  graduate." 

If  you  will  think  back  over  these  three  stories  and  what 
we  learned  about  the  beginnings  of  money,  and  trading, 
perhaps  you  can  begin  to  see  the  reason  for  calling  one 
twin  face  of  money,  Life,  The  traders  in  times  of  barter 
gave  a  thing  that  represented  themselves  and  the  effort 
they  had  expended — bits  of  their  own  lives.  The  farmer's 
children  cared  nothing  for  the  life-cost  of  the  money  they 
spent.  The  college  student  thought  of  a  father's  life  and 
work  when  considering  the  spending  of  money.  And  the 
not-earning  seniors  in  college  were  wanting  to  receive  all 
that  life  could  give  without  using  their  own  lives  to  earn 
at  least  a  share.  Why  should  anyone  wish  always  to 
receive  for  nothing  what  other  people  must  give  part  of 
their  lives  to  earn?  Yet  many  Junior  Citizens  do.  What 
about  you? 

There  is  another  very  interesting  thing  about  money 
and  life.  From  being  a  piece  of  someone  else's  life  money 
comes  to  you.  Sometimes,  if  you  have  earned  it,  it  be- 
comes at  once  a  piece  of  yours.  If  it  is  a  gift  of  a  part  of 
someone  else  to  you,  it  can  become  a  part  of  you,  or  be 
thrown  away,  according  as  you  use  it.  The  same  thing 
is  true  of  the  money  that  you  yourself  earn;  as  you  spend 
it  you  either  throw  it  away  or  you  find  that  it  brings  you 
something  to  enjoy  or  to  wear,  or  to  use,  etc.,  and  so  it 
brings  to  you  a  new  piece  of  life.  As  you  give  out,  you 
receive.   The  gate  swings  open  and  something  goes  out, 


172  CITIZEN,  JR. 

but  another  enters  before  the  gate  closes.  As  you  give 
life  you  get  life. 

Suppose  we  think  back  to  Lesson  I,  and  remember 
once  more  from  where  our  life  comes  to  us.  If  life  is 
holy,  if  its  power  and  beauty  are  of  God,  if  in  him  we 
live  and  move  and  have  our  being,  how  shall  we  think  of 
the  money  which  is  earned  by  the  use  of  that  life  and 
which  represents  the  life  of  people  as  well?  What  does 
the  highest  kind  of  citizen-thinking  tell  us  as  to  the  sacred 
reasons  for  the  wise  and  careful  use  of  money?  Why  is 
careless  and  wasteful  spending  a  sign  of  poor  citizenship? 

In  thinking  about  waste  and  carelessness  in  using 
materials  that  have  cost  some  person  a  share  of  his  power 
of  life,  you  will  find  an  interesting  comment  in  what 
Jesus  says  at  the  close  of  the  account  of  his  feeding  of 
the  multitudes.  It  is  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  John,  verse  1 2  : 

Gather  up  the  broken  pieces  which  remain  over, 
that  nothing  be  lost. 

Although  Jesus  spoke  of  pieces  of  loaves  and  fishes,  can 
we  not  let  it  include  whatever  represents  somebody's  life? 
Think  up  some  different  kinds  of  things  that  you  can 
gather  up  to  prevent  a  part  of  somebody's  life  from  going 
to  waste.  Can  you  include  the  saving  of  pennies  and 
nickels  and  dimes  and  quarters,  too?  Why  should  we 
throw  them  away  or  waste  them? 

Test  Plans 

Which  is  the  more  important  to  gain,  the  ability  to  make 
money  or  the  money  itself?   Why? 

What  do  you  think  of  the  citizen  whose  chief  question  is, 
"What  is  there  in  it  for  me?*'  when  a  chance  for  citizen 
helpfulness  or  service  comes?  Is  there  anything  good  in 
such  an  attitude?   Where  is  the  mistake  in  it? 


THE  KEEPER  OF  THE  GATE  173 

Is  there  any  difference  between  saving  and  hoarding?  Ex- 
plain the  reason  for  your  answer.  Write  this  in  your 
notebook. 

What  is  wrong  with  the  fellow  who  says:  "Fve  got  only 
this  little  bit.  I  might  as  well  blow  it  in.  Being  broke 
isn*t  much  worse  than  this"? 

Why  is  one  of  money's  Janus  faces  called  **Life"  in  this 
lesson? 

What  changes  have  you  decided  to  make  in  your  use  of 
money  because  of  studying  this  lesson? 


LESSON  28 
GOBLINS  AND  GENII 

Probably  there  are  very  few  Junior  Citizens  who  have 
not  read  nor  heard  James  Whitcomb  Riley's  verses  about 
"Little  Orphant  Annie"  and  her  stories  of  how  "the 
gobble-uns  '11  git  you,  ef  you  don't  watch  out."  Of  course 
you  know  that  there  are  no  goblins  of  the  kind  that  Annie 
tells  about,  but  there  are  other  things  that  "git  you" 
quite  as  disastrously  when  you  do  not  "watch  out." 
Some  of  them  we  will  call  money  goblins.  Here  are  ways 
that  they  "git"  folks. 

Debt.  In  olden  times  a  debtor  could  even  be  put  into 
prison  if  he  could  not  pay.  This  was  true  and  very  com- 
mon at  the  time  when  Jesus  lived,  as  you  will  remember 
from  the  parable  of  the  debtors  in  Matthew  18.  Perhaps 
you  have  been  in  debt  to  somebody.  Did  you  ever  borrow 
a  nickel  or  a  quarter  and  then  have  to  pay  it  back  just 
when  you  wanted  the  money  for  something  else?  Hadn't 
the  goblins  put  you  in  prison  then?  When  you  borrowed, 
how  much  of  your  "life"  did  you  give  for  the  bit  of  "life" 
received?  The  goblins  fooled  you  that  time,  didn't  they? 
Wanting  something  for  "nothing."    And  were  you  the 


174  CITIZEN,  JR. 

least  bit  tempted  to  wish  you  didn't  have  to  pay?  Goblins 
were  after  you  then  trying  to  turn  you  into  somebody 
who  wanted  what  belonged  to  somebody  else.  What  are 
such  people  called  when  they  grow  up,  if  they  do  such 
things?  Goblins  are  trying  to  get  you  into  prison,  surely, 
if  you  don't  watch  debt! 

Wanting  ^^easy  money  ^^  whether  from  parents  or  other 
people.  Same  old  story — wanting  something  more  from 
others  than  you  were  willing  to  give?  Is  there  anything 
of  a  cheat  about  this?  How  about  the  citizen  who  will 
not  do  an  errand  for  anybody  unless  he  is  paid  a  big 
price?  How  about  the  bellboys  in  hotels  who  want  big 
tips  for  little  services?  Don't  you  think  that  they  are  in 
the  clutches  of  the  money  goblins?  What  kind  of  future 
citizens  will  they  be?  They  may  have  to  fight  the 
goblins  to  keep  from  becoming  money  grabbers,  grafters, 
unscrupulous,  tricky  merchants  and  salesmen,  etc. 

Wanting  money  when  it  costs  in  character,  "Do  a 
friend  a  favor"  at  the  price  of  doing  what  is  wrong?  Sold 
out  to  the  goblins,  "cheap." 

^^Get-rich-quick^'  schemes — the  old  something-for- 
nothing  story  again,  or  something  far  bigger  than  the 
life  put  into  the  work  is  worth.  You  may  read  "ads"  of 
this  sort  in  the  papers,  or  you  may  know  of  men  going 
around  trying  to  sell  schemes  of  this  sort  to  people  in  your 
neighborhood.  Perhaps  you  have  known  of  friends  or 
neighbors  who  have  lost  hundreds  or  thousands  of  dollars 
of  their  savings  in  this  way.  Goblins  got  them,  un- 
doubtedly. But  how  about  yourself?  Do  you  never  day- 
dream about  "finding  money"  or  "If  I  were  rich"?  Look 
out,  tliey  are  trying  to  "git"  you! 

Fear  of  spending  anything  because  of  being  afraid  of 
having  nothing  later  on;  always  seeing  the  rainy  day 
ahead — ^look  up  Matthew  5 :  24-26  and  see  if  the  goblins 


THE  KEEPER  OF  THE  GATE  175 

aren't  making  folks  afraid  to  trust  God  for  what  is 
needed.  This  does  not  mean  that  we  should  not  make 
wise  provision  for  what  may  be  ahead  of  us,  but  it  does 
mean  that  we  should  not  save  with  a  hoarding  spirit. 
Perhaps  you  find  it  hard  to  spend  for  fear  you'll  want 
your  money  later.  Too  much  of  that  kind  of  thinking 
gives  the  goblins  a  chance  to  fasten  the  poverty  habit  to 
your  mind. 

Miserliness.  Do  you  remember  the  story  of  the 
famous  miser,  King  Midas,  who  wished  that  everything 
he  touched  would  turn  to  gold?  And  what  a  wretched 
time  he  had  with  his  food  and  his  clothes?  If  a  person  is 
always  trying  to  make  money,  and  to  save  money,  just 
to  put  it  away  and  have  it,  is  he  anything  like  Midas?  The 
goblins  are  playing  pranks  with  him.  Are  you  stingy 
about  anything?   Look  out!   Be  generous! 

Spending  whatever  you  have  as  soon  as  you  get  it.  If 
money  is  life  and  holds  the  seed  of  more  life  for  you,  are 
you  losing  your  harvest,  like  the  seed  thrown  on  stony 
ground  and  on  the  wayside,  in  Jesus'  parable?  Look  out 
for  the  "wantybuyit"  goblins! 

Spending  foolishly  and  extravagantly.  We  have  al- 
ready talked  of  this  a  little.  Is  what  you  get  in  return 
worth  much  to  you,  or  are  the  goblins  cheating  you  when 
you  spend  like  this?  Better  ask  yourself  the  big  question 
that  you  find  in  Isaiah  55:2: 

Wherefore  do  ye  spend  money  for  that  which  is  not 
bread?  and  your  labor  for  that  which  satisfieth  not? 

"Bread"  is  lifegiving  and  symbolizes  life.  The  marginal 
reading  for  the  word  "labor"  is  "earnings."  Now  say  the 
verse  over  with  these  word  changes;  then  memorize  the 
Bible  form,  so  that  you  can  always  have  this  verse  to 
help  you  to  think. 


176  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Well,  we  are  all  sure  that  we  don't  want  the  money- 
goblins  to  get  us.  And  we  are  beginning  to  understand 
what  they  are.  Any  way  of  getting,  having,  keeping,  or 
spending  money  that  damages  life,  either  ours  or  other 
people's,  is  the  goblin  way.  Does  this  give  us  a  clue  as  to 
how  we  may  master  money  instead  of  being  its  slaves? 
Let's  see.  How  is  this? — Whatever  brings  more  life,  or  a 
greater  chance  for  it.  Does  this  explain  why  the  name 
for  the  second  twin  face  of  money  is  Opportunity? 

You  remember,  of  course,  that  in  the  old  fairy  tales 
like  "Aladdin"  there  were  genii  who  did  the  bidding  of 
the  person  who  rubbed  a  lamp  or  a  ring,  or  who  had  a 
magic  formula.  There  are  genii  of  money  that  bring  the 
wealth  of  vast  and  countless  opportunity-treasures  to 
those  who  have  the  secret  of  mastering  them.  A  common, 
everyday  word  is  one  secret  charm  that  secures  the 
service  of  these  genii.  It  has  only  six  letters,  "t-h— f-t." 
Now  do  you  know?  Lots  of  people  do  not  understand 
this  word  and  despise  it  as  Aladdin's  wife  despised  the 
magic  lamp  when  she  sold  it.  They  think  that  ^^  thrift" 
means  being  stingy  and  close.  You  know  better  than  that. 

When  you  call  on  the  money  genii  to  help  you  to  build 
your  palace  of  life,  you  plan  to  be  thrifty,  you  ask  the 
genii  to  give  you  the  opportunities  for  riches  of  happy, 
worthwhile,  life-bringing  things  both  now  and  in  the 
future.  "Thrift"  means  spending  part  and  saving  part; 
wise  use  now  and  saving  in  preparation  for  wise  use  later 
as  good  opportunities  show  themselves  to  you. 

Right  here  you  may  be  interested  in  what  men  who 
have  made  millions  of  money  have  said.  Perhaps  you 
already  know  Andrew  Carnegie's  advice  to  save  a  part 
of  every  dollar  that  you  receive.  Will  you  save  it  just 
to  save  it  or  to  get  ready  for  bigger  things  to  come? 

There  is  a  man  who  has  made  a  big  fortune  in  auto- 


THE  KEEPER  OF  THE  GATE 


177 


mobiles  that  have  given  the  farmers  great  opportunities 
for  new  life  of  many  kinds.  This  man,  Henry  Ford, 
understood  thrift  so  well  that  he  offered  to  buy  the 
world's  "scrapped"  navies  in  order  to  use  the  materials 
instead  of  having  them  wasted  by  the  sinking  of  the  war- 
ships. A  man  once  said  to  him,  "People  who  come  at  last 
by  real  money  never  do  it  by  saving."  By  that  he  meant, 
piling  up  the  dollars.  Here  is  Mr.  Ford's  response:  "The 
thing  to  do  is  to  put  it  back  into  yourself,  into  your  work, 
into  the  thing  that  is  important,  into  whatever  you  are 
so  much  interested  in  that  it  is  more  important  to  you 
than  the  money." 

The  longer  you  think  over  that  answer,  the  better  you 
will  see  how  it  shows  the  twin  faces  of  money  and  the 
genii  at  work. 

"Put  it  back  into  yourself."  Invest  it  for  new  oppor- 
tunities to  make  yourself  and  to  prepare  to  be  of  more 
use.  A  Junior  Citizen  might  do  this  in  many  ways.  A  boy 
can  invest  his  money  in  material  that  will  let  him  experi- 
ment; for  mechanical  equipment  and  for  magazines,  if 
he  is  interested  in  scientific  things.  A  girl  might  invest 
in  books  that  give  directions  for  candy-making,  doll- 
dressmaking,  cooking;  and  she  might  buy  what  she 
needed  to  practice  those  things.  Either  boys  or  girls  can 
have  gardens,  buying  the  seeds,  etc.  They  might  take 
lessons  on  a  musical  instrument,  or  in  touch  typewriting. 
There  are  some  simple  kinds  of  shorthand  that  are  as 
fascinating  as  "codes,"  puzzles,  and  sign  languages.  Do 
you  see  the  genii  at  work? 

"Put  it  into  your  work."  If  you  have  some  way  of 
earning  money,  give  yourself  a  chance  to  earn  more.  For 
example,  a  boy  who  used  his  express  wagon  to  deliver 
parcels  and  do  errands  for  neighbors  in  spare  time  might 
save  up  and  buy  a  bicycle.  You  can  see  how  it  will  work 


178  CITIZEN,  JR. 

in  other  ways  that  you  will  think  of  for  yourself;  ways 
that  set  the  genii  to  working  for  you. 

"Put  it  into  something  important;  into  whatever  you 
are  so  much  interested  in  that  it  is  more  important  to  you 
than  the  money."  For  a  Junior  Citizen  this  may  mean 
many  things:  saving  up  for  college  or  for  a  trip  to  a  place 
of  historic  interest,  or  to  do  something  special  to  help 
father  or  mother,  etc.  So  you  see  it  can  also  include  that 
very  important  thing,  the  part  of  your  money  that  you 
consecrate  to  God  and  give  away.  By  sharing  a  part  of 
what  you  have  you  make  room  for  more  to  come  to  you, 
and  by  giving  part  away,  you  keep  from  being  stingy  as 
well  as  glorifying  God  by  serving  him.  True  thrift  means 
being  generous.  Jesus  spoke  of  it  in  Luke  6 :  38. 

Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you;  good  measure, 
pressed  down,  shaken  together,  running  over,  shall 
they  give  into  your  bosom.  For  with  what  measure 
ye  mete  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again. 

Is  it  your  own  money  that  you  put  into  the  collection 
at  Sunday  school  and  church,  and  that  you  give  to 
various  causes?  Many  people  have  found  it  a  wonderfully 
good  plan  to  set  apart  a  definite  share  of  what  they  have, 
for  purposes  like  these,  as  God^s  special  part  of  their  be- 
longings. Sometimes  it  is  a  tenth,  and  sometimes  more. 
Then  they  always  have  something  to  give  when  appeals 
are  made,  and  can  usually  give  more  than  by  any  other 
plan.  The  tenth  was  the  old  Jewish  plan.  It  was  called 
the  tithe.  In  Malachi  3 :  10  you  will  see  what  the  prophet 
represents  God  as  telling  his  people: 

Bring  ye  the  whole  tithe  into  the  storehouse,  •  .  . 
and  prove  me  now  herewith,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts, 
if  I  will  not  open  the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour  you 
out  a  blessing  that  there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to 
receive  it. 


THE  KEEPER  OF  THE  GATE  179 

Of  course  this  means  more  than  giving  a  share  of  one's 
money;  it  means  putting  his  Kingdom  "first"  in  our 
thoughts  and  plans  and  actions.  This,  Jesus  says,  is  the 
citizen's  way  to  abundance  of  every  kind. 

Special  Work 

The  father  of  some  Junior  Citizens  says  that  being  in  debt 

is  like  paying  for  a  horse  after  it  is  dead.   Do  you  think 

he  is  right?  Why? 
What  is  the  test  of  wise  spending  ?   What  wise  plans  have 

you  made  in  regard  to  yours? 
What  are  good  reasons  for  saving? 
Do  you  see  any  connection  between  having  abundance  and 

setting  aside  a  special  share  for  God? 
What  part  of  your  funds  and  time  and  living  do  you  think 

God's  special  share  should  be? 
Shoiild  you  always  take  out  the  money  from  what  you 

have?    Why? 
If  you  make  a  fund  for  God  in  this  way,  will  you  ever  feel 

"I  haven't  anything  to  give"  when  you  would  like  to 

help  a  good  cause? 
Do  you  really  want  to  master  money,  enough  to  keep 

choosing  as  a  citizen  should?    Or  would  you  rather  let 

money  master  you  ?  Explain  why. 
Will  prayer  help  you  in  any  way,  to  choose? 
If  what  you  "really  want"  and  "choose"  is  to  live  the 

radiant  life  of  God  that  is  untouched  by  poverty  or  lack 

and  that  has  all  his  riches  to  draw  upon,  then  you  know 

that  "Money  has  twin  faces,  Life  and  Opportunity." 


GROUP  XV 


Lessons  29  and  30 
TELLING  TIME 


"FOREVER—NEVER* 


How  long  is  it  since  you 
learned  to  "tell  time''  by  the 
clock?  Probably  it  was  "long 
ago/'  when  you  were  rather 
little.  Perhaps  you  can't  even 
remember.  The  knowledge  came, 
perhaps  a  little  at  a  time.  It  be- 
came a  part  of  you,  and  now  you 
use  it  without  remembering  just 
when  or  where  it  came.  But  you 
have  it,  and  it  serves  you  when- 
ever you  wish. 
Perhaps  the  time  will  come 
when  you  may  look  back  and  wonder  when  you  learned 
other  things  about  "time"  which  you  will  have  worked 
out  in  these  next  two  lessons.  After  they  have  been  a  part 
of  you  so  long  that  it  will  seem  as  if  you  always  knew, 
maybe  you  will  stop  and  wonder  how  it  came  about. 

Time  comes  and  goes,  and  goes  and  comes,  and  yet  it 
is  always  here.  The  important  thing  about  it,  of  course, 
is  what  you  do  with  it  and  with  the  things  it  brings  to  you. 
Perhaps  you  know  Rudyard  Kipling's  poem,  "If,"  in 
which  he  includes  among  his  list  of  "Ifs,"  the  one  about 
giving  "the  unforgiving  minute  its  sixty  seconds'  worth 
of  distance  run."  You  can't  play  fair  with  a  minute  after 
it  has  gone,  but  you  can  be  fair  with  the  ones  that  are 
here  and  that  follow. 

180 


TELLING  TIME  i8i 

Longfellow  too  writes  about  time  in  that  poem,  "The 
Old  Clock  on  the  Stairs,"  which  you  may  have  read.  Do 
you  remember  this  stanza? — 

"Through  days  of  sorrow  and  of  mirth, 
Through  days  of  death  and  days  of  birth, 
Through  every  swift  vicissitude 
Of  changeful  time,  unchanged  it  has  stood. 
And  as  if,  like  God,  it  all  things  saw 
It  calmly  repeats  these  words  of  awe 
Torever — never 
Never — ^forever.'  '* 

You  can  become  your  own  clock,  measuring  time  in  the 
value  of  what  you  do;  saying  "Forever''  as  you  choose 
what  is  immortal  and  godlike  and  saying  "Never"  as 
you  put  aside  all  that  is  unworthy. 

As  you  think  of  the  old  clock  as  a  symbol  of  these 
things  you  may  like  to  memorize  a  Bible  verse  for  your 
"time"  prayer.  "So  teach  us  to  number  our  days  that 
we  may  get  us  a  heart  of  wisdom." 

LESSON  29 
THE  TIME  BANK 

When  you  were  little  did  you  have  a  toy  bank  for 
saving  money?  Perhaps  you  have  a  little  bank  of  some 
kind  now,  or  an  account  in  a  real  bank.  Perhaps  you 
bought  Thrift  Stamps,  or  are  putting  part  of  your  money 
into  some  other  kind  of  savings  plan.  The  more  expe- 
rience you  have  had  in  these  things,  the  better  you  will 
understand  about  the  time  bank  that  everybody  uses. 

Each  day  every  one  of  us  has  twenty-four  hours'  worth 
of  opportunity  to  live,  placed  to  our  account  in  the  bank 
of  time.  What  do  we  do  with  it?  We  draw  checks  on  it 
for  different  things.  Some  checks  are  very  large.  Suppose 


i82  CITIZEN,  JR. 

now,  you  begin  to  make  out  what  the  business  people  and 
the  governments  call  a  budget.  This  is  an  estimate  of 
the  amounts  needed  for  carrying  on  work,  for  recreation, 
savings,  etc.  You  can  make  first  a  day's  budget  and  see 
what  checks  you  will  have  to  draw  on  the  bank  of  time 
for  different  purposes. 

Since  the  day  begins  at  midnight  you  may  as  well  start 
to  count  there,  going  along  through  the  whole  twenty- 
four  hours.  And  since  you  usually  are  sleeping  then,  your 
first  item  in  the  day's  budget  can  be  for  sleep.  How  many 
hours  for  that?  Then  for  getting  up  and  for  dressing. 
Breakfast?  Going  to  school? 

Now  that  you  have  the  idea,  go  ahead  through  the  day 
and  see  for  what  you  are  using  your  life  money.  After 
you  have  put  down  the  items  for  the  different  hours  and 
have  reached  midnight  again,  begin  adding  up,  all  the 
sleeping  checks,  and  the  eating  ones,  the  helping  ones, 
the  study  ones,  etc.,  in  order  to  see  just  about  how  much 
they  make. 

When  you  have  done  this  you  will  be  ready  to  work  out 
some  other  things  besides  amounts.  You  will  examine 
your  budget  to  see  whether  you  are  using  your  life  money 
wisely  in  the  kind  of  investments  that  bring  good  returns 
which  you  can  deposit  in  another  department  of  the 
Bank  of  Time  in  a  savings  account. 

Take  up  the  items  one  by  one.  You  may  as  well  begin 
with  sleep  again.  Here  are  some  questions  to  ask  your- 
self. What  is  sleep  for?  Am  I  getting  as  much  as  I  need? 
If  not,  why  not?  Am  I  getting  too  much  so  that  I  am 
growing  lazy?  Do  I  go  to  sleep  at  once  on  going  to  bed, 
or  do  I  waste  part  of  the  time  in  twisting  and  turning  or 
in  thinking  of  to-day  or  to-morrow?  Is  my  body  quiet 
and  relaxed,  or  are  my  hands  clenched  and  my  knees 
drawn  up  tensely  with  every  bit  of  me  feeling  strained 


TELLING  TIME  183 

and  tightened  up?  Have  I  overloaded  with  food,  and  is 
my  body  still  carrying  a  lot  of  waste  that  will  poison  me 
through  the  night  and  tire  me  out  by  the  tightened-up 
condition  it  causes?  How  do  I  wake  up;  cross  and  tired, 
or  rested  and  full  of  "pep"? 

When  you  have  thought  out  the  answers  to  these 
questions  you  can  see  how  much  of  the  value  of  your 
sleeping-time  money  is  being  lost  and  how  much  is  being 
invested  so  that  you  will  be  stronger,  healthier,  and  more 
ready  to  have  a  good  time  out  of  living. 

Then  go  on  to  the  other  items  and  ask  yourself  ques- 
tions about  them.  For  example:  Do  I  take  more  time 
than  I  need  for  dressing?  Do  I  dawdle  and  dream  while 
fastening  my  shoes  or  combing  my  hair?  Am  I  in  a  wild 
hurry  and  scramble?  Why  haven't  I  enough  time?  Does 
my  dressing  time  really  get  me  ready  for  the  day  or  does 
it  wear  me  out  and  tire  me?  How  does  this  investment 
stand? 

Eating.  Too  much  or  too  little?  Am  I  gaining  or 
losing  in  weight?  Do  I  crave  candy  and  eat  it  between 
meals  and  then  not  want  good  food?  Do  I  rush  through 
my  meals  without  courteous  sharing  in  family  life?  What 
do  I  do  to  make  the  meal  time  happy  for  everybody? 
Think  up  other  questions  to  test  whether  you  are  getting 
full  value  from  eating  time. 

Study,  Do  I  do  it  with  all  my  might,  or  with  one  eye 
out  of  the  window  and  both  ears  listening  to  somebody 
who  is  talking?  With  half  my  mind  wandering  off  to 
something  else?  Do  I  have  a  lot  of  fun  in  really  exploring 
my  lessons  and  mastering  them,or  doldream  and  dawdle? 

School,  There  are  lots  of  interesting  things  that  you 
might  ask  yourself  here.  Recall  the  lessons  on  school 
citizenship  and  check  up  your  own  time  accoimt  from 
what  you  have   learned.     Ask  yourself  now  whether 


i84  CITIZEN,  JR. 

you  are  getting  so  much  that  is  really  satisfying  there, 
that  you  enjoy  going?    If  not,  do  you  know  why? 

Play  Times.  Ask  yourself.  Do  I  truly  get  a  lot  of 
fun  from  them,  or  do  I  just  "fool  in  the  time''  aimlessly, 
at  one  thing  after  another?  Does  my  play  tire  me  out 
or  give  me  more  "pep'7  Do  I  try  to  stretch  my  play 
times  so  that  they  use  up  minutes  and  hours  that  belong 
to  something  else?  If  so,  what  is  wrong  with  my  play 
time  account  in  the  Time  Bank?  Can  I  overdraw  this 
way  and  be  a  first-class  banking-citizen? 

Helping  Times,  Am  I  "too  busy"  to  do  my  share,  or 
to  grant  a  favor?  How  much  responsibility  does  my  family 
find  that  I  am  worthy  and  able  to  carry?  If  I  say  that 
1  will  do  a  thing,  can  I  be  depended  on?  If  I  am  asked 
to  do  something,  am  I  friendly  and  accommodating  or 
impatient  and  cranky?  When  I  go  on  errands  do  I 
dawdle  and  play,  or  have  I  learned  to  go  promptly?  Do 
I  accomplish  the  errand  in  an  efficient,  satisfactory  way, 
or  do  I  "forget"  things?  When  I  have  something  to  do, 
do  I  do  it  "any  old  way,  just  so  I  get  through,"  or  do  I 
invent  new  schemes  and  better  ways  of  doing  it?  Are 
my  helping  times  a  real  help  to  me  and  to  the  family  or 
is  my  account  in  bad  condition  here? 

Odds  and  Ends  of  Time.  What  do  you  do  with  these? 
Throw  them  away?  They  are  like  the  pennies  in  your 
purse.  A  lot  of  them  saved  up  turn  into  dimes  and 
dollars.  Do  you  know  of  anybody,  or  have  you  read  or 
heard  of  anybody  who  got  ahead  in  life  and  made  a 
success  by  utilizing  these  odd  scraps  of  time?  What  can 
you  think  of  to  do  in  such  odd  times?  Is  there  any 
tinkering  that  you  can  do  around  the  house  that  would 
help  develop  your  mechanical  ability  as  well  as  be  of 
home-making  value?  Have  you  a  corner  of  your  own  or 
a  place  where  you  do  a  bit  of  experimenting?  Is  there  a 


TELLING  TIME  185 

book  that  you  can  read,  a  little  at  a  time,  and  think  over 
between  whiles?  Do  you  knit  or  sew,  and  have  you 
something  of  this  kind  on  hand  at  which  to  work?  Can 
you  not  learn  some  nice  poetry  or  a  cooking  rule,  or  some 
Bible  verses,  or  a  scrap  of  your  lessons  in  some  of  these 
fragments  of  time?  ^'Gather  up  the  broken  pieces  that 
notJiing  be  lost,"  you  remember. 

How  about  the  phrase,  ^*I  haven't  time"?  If  you  really 
want  very  much  to  do  something,  don't  you  "find  time" 
for  it.  Look  out  for  your  "want  to"  and  your  "oughts." 
They  can  help  you  to  keep  this  account  in  fine  shape. 

Sacred  Times.  How  much  of  the  day's  time  do  you 
think  it  is  fair  to  set  apart  especially  for  God?  In  how 
many  definite  ways  can  you  employ  it?  Are  you  ever 
still  to  look  at  the  stars  or  the  sunset,  and  to  get  the  feel- 
ing of  the  presence  and  power  of  God  as  you  do  so?  Do 
the  hills  tell  you  of  his  strength  around  and  within  you? 
Do  the  sunshine  and  the  blue  sky  and  the  moonlight  tell 
you  anything  of  him?  On  a  rainy  day  have  you  noticed 
the  beautiful  colors  that  show  where  a  spot  of  oil  or 
gasoline  has  dropped  and  the  water  is  spreading  it?  And 
do  little  lovelinesses  of  this  kind,  in  common,  everyday 
things,  show  you  something  of  his  glory  in  human  Kves? 
If  you  live  on  the  prairie,  as  you  look  out  across  the 
spaces  of  sky  and  earth;  or  if  you  live  by  the  lake  shore 
or  the  ocean,  do  you  ever  think  of  lines  from  a  beautiful 
hymn? — 

"There's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy 
Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea." 

"For  the  love  of  God  is  broader 

Than  the  measure  of  man's  mind, 
And  the  heart  of  the  Eternal 
Is  most  wonderfully  kind." 


i86  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Have  you  the  habit  of  quick  thoughts  of  the  presence 
of  God  as  you  go  through  the  day — brief,  holy  times  of 
prayer  and  lovingness  that  go  with  whatever  happens? 
Do  you  give  God  more  than  these  odds  and  ends  of  time? 
Have  you  a  while  for  seeking  him  specially,  day  by  day? 
Do  you  read  and  study  your  Bible  and  prepare  your 
special  lessons  in  a  part  of  the  day  that  you  set  aside  as 
God's  share?  If  not,  why  not?  If  you  want  to  be  with 
your  chum,  you  can  make  the  time  for  it,  so  why  can  you 
not  plan  for  such  times  with  God  and  keep  them  lovingly 
and  faithfully? 

Now  that  you  have  thought  over  your  time  accounts, 
see  what  the  investment  is  going  to  be  worth  in  another 
way.  You  might  think  ahead  ten  years  or  more  and  see 
whether  what  you  are  doing  now  is  going  to  bring  you 
something  worth  having  then;  something  that  will  be  the 
interest  on  your  savings  account  in  God's  Bank  of  Time. 
Think  carefully  and  see  what  changes  might  bring  you 
greater  value  for  your  time-money  as  a  citizen  of  God's 
great  kingdom.  Here  is  a  Bible  verse  for  you  to  think 
over  as  you  work  out  these  accounts.    Galatians  6:  9. 

And  let  us  not  be  weary  in  well-doing:  for  in  due 
season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint  not. 

When  do  you  think  that  the  reaping  time — the  interest 
gathering  time — should  begin? 

Test  Work 

Ask  yourself  these  questions  to  see  what  you  have  learned: 
Do  I  understand  the  meaning  of  the  expression,  "Time  is 

money"? 
When  I  am  ten  minutes  late  in  keeping  an  appointment, 

do  I  steal  somebody's  time?  What  habit  shall  I  make  to 

prevent  this? 


TELLING  TIME  187 

If  I  promise  to  do  something  at  a  definite  time,  what  is 

the  quality  of  my  citizenship  if  I  neglect  to  do  as  I 

promised?  What  practice  will  I  undertake  to  avoid  this 

inferior  citizenship  ? 
If  I  waste  the  time  of  a  teacher,  or  of  someone  at  home, 

by  dawdling  and  the  like,  what  facets  of  my  citizenship 

diamond  am  I  chipping  and  spoiling?  What  good  thing 

will  I  choose  instead? 
When  I  am  late  in  getting  up  in  the  morning,  how  many 

persons  have  their  time  budgets  disturbed  by  me  ?  What 

will  I  do  about  this? 
Is  it  any  more  important  to  be  on  time  to  catch  a  train 

than  it  is  to  be  on  time  for  meals  ?  How  can  I  live  up  to 

this  standard? 
How  many  points  have  I  scored  this  week  by  a  fine  and 

careful  use  of  time? 
Make  records  of  these  things  in  your  notebook  if  you  really 

think  them  important   and   want   to  have  them  as 

reminders. 

LESSON  30 

"A  MOUSE  IN  THE  CLOCK" 

**Hickory  Dickory  Dock! 
The  mouse  ran  up  the  clock. 
The  clock  struck  one; 
The  mouse  ran  down. 
Hickory  Dickory  Dock." 

Here  is  a  conundrum.  When  is  a  good  time  not  a  good 
time?  The  nursery  rime  that  you  just  read  joined  with 
the  title  of  this  lesson  gives  the  answer:  "When  there  is 
a  mouse  in  the  clock."  Can  you  guess  what  that  means? 
Want  a  hint? — When  there  is  something  in  the  good  time 
that  should  not  be  there  because  it  does  not  belong; 
something  that  interferes  with  citizenship  or  spoils  it  in 
some  way. 


i88  CITIZEN,  JR. 

In  the  old  rime,  when  the  clock  struck  "one"  the  mouse 
ran  down,  and  things  were  all  right  again.  What  can 
striking  "one''  be  in  the  good-time  clock?  Is  it  finding 
out  what  spoils  things  and  makes  a  poor  kind  of  fun? 
If  so,  then  when  you  choose  the  better  way,  "The  mouse 
runs  down." 

Suppose  we  look  for  the  mouse  in  the  kind  of  good  times 
that  certain  sorts  of  citizens  enjoy.  Probably  they  are 
not  your  good  times,  but  still  it  will  be  worth  while  to 
see. 

How  about  the  sort  of  fun  that  means  cruelty  to 
animals?  You  may  have  seen  boys,  and  maybe  girls, 
laughing  at  a  dog  with  a  tin  can  tied  to  its  tail.  Somebody 
else  teases  the  cat  or  plays  tricks  on  a  horse.  Have  these 
people  progressed  beyond  the  savage  state?  They  find 
fun  at  an  animal's  expense.  What  truly  pleasant  thing 
can  you  suggest  as  a  substitute  for  these  things  if  you  see 
them  done — something  that  will  make  the  animal  and 
everybody  around  feel  better? 

Next  think  about  unkind  April  Fool  jokes,  and  "comic" 
Valentines,  such  as  hurt  people's  feelings.  Recall  the 
lesson  about  the  "Street  of  the  Golden  Mile,"  and  see  if 
there  is,  after  all,  any  true  fun  here.  What  spoils  the 
citizen  value  of  such  "good  times"?  You  probably  have 
known  of  folks  that  thought  them  very  funny.  Why 
were  they  mistaken? 

Making  fun  of  an  unfortunate  person :  imitating  a  lame 
one,  poking  fun  at  the  deaf,  laughing  at  a  drunken  per- 
son, etc.  Suppose  it  were  you  or  your  father  or  mother 
or  sister?  WTiat  are  the  opposite  things  that  would  make 
the  clock  strike  "one"  and  the  mouse  run  down,  and  give 
the  people  a  real  good  time? 

Tormenting  a  playmate  by  calling  names,  and  laugh- 
ing at  him.  Why  does  this  spoil  citizenship?  What  could 


TELLING  TIME  189 

be  done  instead,  the  sort  of  thing  that  folks  would  wish 
to  have  done  to  them  if  they  were  in  the  other  person's 
place? 

Teasing  the  girls.  Does  this  make  courteous  citizens? 
Why  do  boys  think  it  is  funny?  Are  they  right? 

Doing  something  to  "bother"  folks  and  to  get  them 
"fussed"  just  for  fun.   Is  there  a  "mouse"  here? 

"Getting  even"  by  doing  something  mean  to  someone 
who  has  been  cranky  and  disagreeable,  or  who  has 
angered  and  displeased  another.  Is  citizenship  helped  or 
degraded  by  this?   Is  it  real  fun?   Why? 

Some  citizens  who  are  growing  up  thought  of  some 
different  things  when  they  were  asked  about  what  a 
Junior  Citizen  thinks  is  a  good  time.  See  whether  you 
agree  with  them,  and  if  you  can  add  to  the  list. 

1.  No  work  to  do. 

2.  Movies. 

3.  Games. 

Those  three  items  have  lots  of  interesting  things  in 
them  for  us  to  think  about.  We'll  take  them  up  one  at 
a  time. 

First:  "No  Work  to  Do."  Are  even  little  children 
happy  if  they  have  "nothing  to  do"?  Don't  they  love  to 
be  active  and  to  accomplish  something?  If  they  cannot 
think  of  something  themselves,  aren't  they  always  asking, 
"What  shall  we  do  now?"  Perhaps  you  think  there  is  a 
difference  between  having  no  work  to  do  and  having 
nothing  to  do,  because  the  children  are  asking  what  they 
shall  play  and  not  what  work  they  may  do?  Perhaps  so, 
and  perhaps  not.  Isn't  the  difference  between  work  and 
play  mostly  in  the  way  we  think  about  it?  Let's  think 
of  older  boys  and  girls  a  little  and  see  whether  play  and 
work  are  never  mixed  up  until  you  couldn't  tell  the 
difference  between  them.   Think  of  the  amount  of  good 


I90  CITIZEN,  JR. 

hard  "work"  required  in  some  kinds  of  play;  building  a 
playhouse,  fitting  up  a  wireless  station,  gathering  berries, 
climbing  trees  to  shake  down  nuts,  sawing  and  hammer- 
ing, etc.,  in  order  to  make  something  to  "play  with."  Do 
those  things,  and  others  like  them  that  you  may  think 
of,  take  more  or  less  than  the  amount  of  effort  that  would 
be  needed  to  mend  something  around  the  house,  or  to 
put  coal  into  the  furnace,  or  to  carry  out  ashes,  or  many 
other  things?  A  girl  has  a  happy  time  making  fudge  or 
perhaps  a  cake.  Why  can't  she  have  as  much  real  fun 
getting  supper  once  in  a  while  to  give  mother  a  vacation? 
A  boy  is  too  tired  or  too  "busy"  to  go  on  errands  or  to 
help  with  something  that  mother  needs  or  father  wants, 
yet  he  can  play  baseball  for  an  hour  and  a  half  if  the 
chance  comes  to  do  it.  What's  the  matter,  and  how  can 
you  make  the  clock  strike  to  scare  the  mouse  away? 

Junior  Citizens  who  want  to  do  only  whatever  they 
please  and  then  call  it  play,  call  it  "work"  if  it  is  some- 
thing that  they  are  asked  to  do.  Funny,  isn't  it?  Are 
you  one  of  the  folks  who  think  that  a  good  time  is  doing 
just  as  you  please?  Can  you  not  get  your  clock  to  strike 
by  choosing  to  do  what  is  best  for  everybody,  and  so 
scare  the  mouse  of  selfishness  away  until  you  find  that 
you  can  have  real  good  times  out  of  what  you  called  work 
as  well  as  in  play?  You  know  how  fine  you  feel  when 
you've  made  something,  even  though  it  "took  a  lot  of 
work"  to  do  it.  Can  you  not  find  just  as  much  fun  in 
doing  the  same  work  for  somebody  besides  yourself?  Isn't 
the  fun  found  in  accomplishing  things  as  well  as  in  being 
free? 

The  second  thing  was  "movies."  Why  do  you  like 
them?  Because  they're  exciting?  Because  you  feel  as  if 
you'd  been  away  off  from  the  scenes  and  the  people  that 
you  are  accustomed  to?  Because  it  all  happens  without 


TELLING  TIME  191 

your  having  to  do  anything  but  watch,  and  yet  you  feel 
as  if  you'd  taken  part  in  what  happens?  You  escape 
from  the  things  that  are  unpleasant  and  sit  there  enjoy- 
ing what  goes  on? 

Perhaps  you  are  a  "regular  movie  fan"  and  want  to  go 
as  often  as  possible.  You  don't  like  it  if  somebody  says 
that  it  isn't  good  for  you  to  do  so?  Why  do  you  suppose 
they  feel  that  way  about  it  when  you  enjoy  it  so  much? 
It  isn't  so  very  hard  to  understand  if  you  just  get  hold 
of  the  idea.  Did  you  ever  try  to  live  for  a  whole  week  on 
a  diet  of  chocolate  peppermints,  mince  pie,  and  cake? 
You  probably  are  fond  of  each  of  them,  but  a  week  of 
them  would  sicken  you  and  give  you  no  benefit  at  all. 
How  about  the  movie  feasts?  What  do  you  get  out  of 
the  excitement?  Does  it  make  you  a  lot  stronger  "to  be, 
to  love,  and  to  do" — the  three  big  hungers  that  humans 
have  to  satisfy? 

Perhaps  some  movies  count  somewhat  with  you  in 
such  ways.  To  that  degree  a  good  time  there  is  a  really 
good  time.  Otherwise  there  is  a  mouse  in  the  clock.  Then 
time  is  wasted,  your  precious  store  of  life  energy  is 
gnawed  at  by  the  excitement,  and  you  are  less  ready  to 
live  than  before.  Besides,  no  effort  of  yours  has  earned 
the  pleasure  you  have  had.  This  is  baby  living,  and  life 
becomes  a  mere  dream  instead  of  something  you  have 
earned. 

Lots  of  citizens  who  go  to  the  movies  begin  to  do  all 
kinds  of  "monkey  living"  as  a  result.  When  you  go  after 
this  you  will  have  a  fine  chance  to  test  what  you  have 
learned  about  citizenship  and  to  watch  that  you  do  not 
do  any  silly  imitating  of  what  you  see  there.  You  can 
watch  what  the  people  in  the  play  are  doing,  and  see 
whether  their  thinking  and  doing  follow  the  rules  of  the 
best  citizenship.  You  can  have  interesting  times  discuss- 


192  CITIZEN,  JR. 

ing  your  impressions  and  conclusions  with  your  chums  or 
your  family  or  whoever  goes  with  you,  or  somebody  who 
has  seen  the  film  you  saw.  Then  you  will  find  that  you 
are  having  a  real  "good  time/'  one  that  has  no  mouse  in 
it,  and  you  will  have  so  much  to  think  about  that  you 
will  not  be  ready  for  another  movie  for  quite  a  while. 
You'll  have  to  take  time  to  digest  this  one  before  you 
want  another. 

Games.  My,  but  this  is  an  interesting  thing!  Have 
you  ever  thought  what  games  are  for,  why  you  like  them, 
what  different  kinds  there  are,  and  what  they  do  to  you? 
Suppose  you  see  how  well  you  know  games  by  trying  to 
name  some.  Here  are  words  describing  different  kinds: 
you  tell  what  games  belong  with  each  one: 

Exercise. 

SkiU. 

Quiet. 

Thinking. 

Guessing. 

Comradeship. 

Alertness. 

Achievement. 

Observation. 

Team  Play. 

Now  we'll  think  about  what  games  can  do  to  citizen- 
ship. How  do  cheating  and  unfair  actions  spoil  both 
games  and  citizens?  Are  things  like  those  the  mouse  in 
the  clock?  What  can  you  learn  through  games  that  will 
help  you  to  grow  as  a  citizen? 

Now  let's  see  if  we  know  how  to  test  for  a  really  good 
time.  There  are  two  things  that  we  want,  and  we  must 
say  "A  little  of  both,  if  you  please,"  as  Kitty  did  when 
the  Ruggles  family  were  practicing  for  their  Christmas 
dinner  in  the  story,  "The  Bird's  Christmas  Carol." 


TELLING  TIME  193 

1.  Pleasure:  That  is,  real  fun,  amusement  and  recrea- 
tion. 

2.  Profit:  Something  worth  while  as  a  result,  some- 
thing gained,  accomplished,  or  benefiting  others. 

Surely,  you  can  expect  fun  that  will  be  wonderful,  in 
your  good  times  as  you  build  for  citizenship  while  you 
enjoy  them.  You  may  like  to  think  about  Paul's  interest- 
ing remark  about  "redeeming  the  time"  or  "buying  up 
the  opportunity"  as  the  margin  reads  in  Ephesians  5: 16. 
Doesn't  this  fit  in  beautifully  with  what  we  have  studied? 

If  you  aren't  having  fun,  and  plenty  of  it,  in  your  every- 
day doings,  right  now,  something  must  be  wrong  with  you 
or  with  your  citizenship.  Look  for  the  mouse  in  your 
clock,  and  let  the  clock  strike  "one"  so  that  the  mouse 
will  scamper  away. 

Special  Work 

You  have  a  "mental  movie"  when  you  ^'daydream."  Think 
back  to  the  lesson  in  "Finding  Wisdom"  and  see  if  you 
find  the  mouse  that  is  in  both  kinds  of  movies. 

What  makes  a  good  movie? 

Is  work  ever  play?   When? 

Ask  yourself  these  questions: 

Can  I  have  fun  as  I  work  and  yet  not  spoil  the  quality  of 
what  I  am  doing?   How? 

Do  I  make  my  own  good  times,  or  do  I  want  them  made 
for  me? 

What  do  my  good  times  bring  to  me? 

Leam  this  citizen  prayer  about  time.  "So  teach  us  to 
ntmiber  our  days  that  we  may  get  us  a  heart  of  wisdom." 


GROUP  XVI 

Lessons  31  and  32 

IN  HIS  NAME 

Names  are  interesting.  Take 
your  own,  for  example.  You 
have  at  least  two — a  first  name 
and  a  last  name.  The  last  shows 
the  family  line  on  your  father's 
side,  to  which  you  belong,  while 
the  first  one  tells  which  of  the 
family  you  are.  Whenever  these 
names  are  used  you  know  that 
you  are  meant.  They  belong  to 
you  and  represent  you.  When 
they  are  spoken  or  written  you 
and  others  know  that  they  stand 
for  you.    Your  name  means  you,  in  a  way. 

The  Jewish  people  used  the  name  of  their  God  not  only 
in  prayer  but  in  giving  a  blessing.  When  the  divine  name 
was  spoken  over  a  land,  or  a  place  or  a  thing,  it  indicated 
that  the  place  or  thing  had  come  into  special  relation  to 
God,  and  represented  him.  So  the  ark  bore  Jehovah's 
name  (2  Samuel  6:2),  "the  ark  of  God,  which  is  called 
by  the  Name,  even  the  name  of  Jehovah  of  hosts." 
Solomon  dreamed  after  he  had  built  the  temple  and  set 
it  apart  as  a  holy  place.  He  thought  that  God  said  to 
him, 

I  have  hallowed  this  house,  which  thou  hast  built, 
to  put  my  name  there  forever  (i  Kings  9:3). 

194 


"IN  HIS  NAME" 


IN  HIS  NAME  195 

The  ark  and  the  Temple  became  places  where  God  made 
himself  specially  known.  They  represented  him  and 
were  holy. 

This  may  help  you  to  get  the  meaning  behind  the 
words,  "In  His  Name,"  that  are  the  keys  for  these  last 
lessons  of  your  citizenship  book.  As  citizens  of  the  King- 
dom of  the  Good  we  are  called  by  the  name  of  Christ. 
We  are  consecrated  and  dedicated  to  God.  Time  after 
time  throughout  these  lessons  you  have  come  to  the 
thought  that  you  are  the  temple  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  You 
have  learned  that  the  great  thing  for  a  citizen  to  do  is  to 
reveal  God,  to  glorify  him,  to  shine  with  his  life  and  power 
and  beauty.  Jesus  Christ,  the  one  who  made  the  great 
revelation  of  God,  that  makes  ours  possible,  told  his 
disciples  to  pray  in  his  name,  and  he  said  of  them  in  a 
prayer  of  his  own  (John  17:  26) : 

I  made  known  unto  them  thy  name,  and  will  make 
it  known;  that  the  love  wherewith  thou  lovedst  me 
may  be  in  them,  and  I  in  them. 

He  taught  them  to  pray  and  he  gave  them  "The  Lord's 
Supper,"  which  now  is  often  called  the  communion.  So 
in  these  lessons  you  will  look  for  how  we  can  pray  and 
how  we  can  join  in  the  communion  "in  his  name";  how 
we  may  find  and  reveal  God  through  them. 

The  church  calls  the  communion  a  sacrament,  a  name 
that  came  from  a  Roman  word  sacramentuniy  which  meant 
"sacred  oath."  The  gladiators  and  the  soldiers  took  this 
oath  to  pledge  their  loyalty.  You  may  like  to  have  a 
translation  of  the  words  that  they  used.  Then  as  you 
renew  your  vows  at  communion  time  and  rededicate 
yourself  as  a  citizen  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  those  old- 
time  words  can  become  your  Christian  prayer  to  God. 


196  CITIZEN,  JR. 

Here  they  are,  so  that  you  may  learn  them  by  heart  to 
have  them  ready  to  use  when  you  want  to  pray  them. 

Sacramentum — The  Sacred  Oath 

To  thee,  Master,  submitting  myself  wholly  to 
be  and  to  do  whatsoever  thou  commandest — ^to 
thee  subject  most  religiously,  body  and  soul,  for- 
ever. 

LESSON  31 
"OUR  FATHER" 

Because  this  is  a  lesson  on  prayer  you  may  share  in  a 
secret  about  the  making  of  this  book  that  you  are 
studying.  From  the  very  beginning — the  first  ideas  and 
plans — it  has  been  made  through  prayer.  Some  of  the 
prayers  were  through  long  periods  of  silence,  alone  in  the 
presence  of  God;  sometimes  they  were  the  quick-as-a- 
breath  kind  that  came  when  other  people  were  talking 
and  planning.  Some  were  happy  prayers  of  thankfulness 
because  some  thought  had  come  that  seemed  just  right 
for  the  book,  and  others  were  quiet,  earnest  prayers 
during  times  when  progress  was  slow  and  writing  difficult. 
As  you  notice,  the  prayers  were  of  different  kinds.  But 
there  was  one  single  thing  that  made  them  all  alike,  the 
thought  of  Our  Father,  from  whom  all  power  comes. 

When  Jesus  was  asked  by  his  disciples  to  teach  them 
how  to  pray  he  gave  them  the  prayer  beginning  "Our 
Father,"  which  we  all  know  so  well.  With  those  opening 
words  he  took  them  straight  to  this  innermost  secret  of 
prayer  and  showed  them  the  intimate  contact  with  God 
which  makes  prayer  possible.  In  the  rest  of  the  prayer 
he  showed  them  that  they  might  turn  directly  to  God  in 
all  they  thought  or  experienced. 

Every  now  and  then  through  these  lessons  of  ours  we 


IN  HIS  NAME  197 

have  referred  to  different  parts  of  the  prayer  and  have 
found  citizen  meanings  for  them.  Now,  suppose  you 
begin  at  the  beginning  and  go  through  item  by  item, 
trying  to  discover  ways  in  which  it  is  truly  a  Citizen's 
Prayer.  As  you  think  it  out,  bit  by  bit,  from  what  you 
have  learned  you  can  make  from  it  a  special  prayer  of 
your  own  words.  Here  is  one,  just  as  a  sample,  to  think 
over  and  compare  with  the  one  that  you  make  for  your- 
self. 

A  Citizen's  Prayer 

Our  Father  who  art  in  the  world  of  holiness, 
may  thy  name  be  reverenced  among  us;  may  thy 
kingdom  of  joy  and  happiness  and  glory  be  re- 
vealed in  us  and  in  our  dealings  with  others.  May 
thy  will  be  ours  as  we  seek  only  that  which  is  best. 
Day  by  day  all  our  power  of  life  and  all  that  we 
need  comes  from  thy  life  and  thee,  for  in  thee  we 
live  and  move  and  have  our  being.  May  our 
courage  be  strong  in  thee,  that  we  may  not  be 
overcome  by  childish  or  savage  desires,  but  in- 
stead may  overcome  evil  with  good  both  in  our- 
selves and  in  others.  For  thy  kingdom  of  the 
good  is  our  citizen's  desire,  that  which  we  choose; 
and  thine  are  the  glory  and  power  in  which  we  and 
all  the  world  are  one.    Amen. 

Our  Indian  brothers  knew  much  of  this  secret  of 
prayer,  this  going  to  God  in  thought  and  feeling  that 
makes  one  with  him.  In  a  book  called  The  Soul  of  the 
Indian,  Dr.  Charles  Eastman,  "Ohiyesa,"  a  nephew  of 
the  famous  old  Sioux  war  chief,  Sitting  Bull,  has  written 
these  interesting  things:  "In  the  life  of  the  Indian  there 
was  only  one  inevitable  duty — the  duty  of  prayer — the 
daily  recognition  of  the  Unseen  and  Eternal.  His  daily 
devotions  were  more  necessary  to  him  than  daily  food. 


198  CITIZEN,  JR. 

He  wakes  at  daybreak,  puts  on  his  moccasins  and  steps 
down  to  the  water's  edge.  Here  he  throws  handfuls  of 
clear,  cold  water  into  his  face  or  plunges  in  bodily.  After 
the  bath  he  stands  erect  before  the  advancing  dawn, 
facing  the  sun  as  it  dances  upon  the  horizon,  and  oiffers 
his  unspoken  orison  (morning  prayer).  His  mate  may 
precede  or  follow  him,  but  never  accompanies  him.  Each 
soul  must  meet  the  morning  sun,  the  new  sweet  earth, 
and  the  Great  Silence  alone.''  Also  this:  ''Whenever,  in 
the  course  of  the  daily  hunt,  the  red  hunter  comes  upon 
a  scene  that  is  strikingly  beautiful  or  sublime — a.  black 
thundercloud  with  the  rainbow's  glowing  arch  above  the 
mountain;  a  white  waterfall  in  the  heart  of  a  green  gorge; 
a  vast  prairie  tinged  with  the  blood  red  of  sunset — ^he 
pauses  for  an  instant  in  the  attitude  of  worship."^ 

Here  is  an  interpretation  of  something  from  the  Navajo 
Indians.  It  may  say  for  you  the  unutterable  things  that 
you  feel  when  you  look  at  the  mountains  or  the  hills,  or 
watch  the  rainstorms  sweeping  along.  You  will  like  the 
way  that  the  Indian  longs  for  this  holy  presence  to  make 
of  him  a  superb  character  through  the  power  that  he 
feels,  just  as  you  long  for  things  that  you  scarcely  know 
how  to  express  though  you  feel  somehow,  a  holy  presence. 
If  you  like  it  enough,  you  might  memorize  it. 

Prayer  to  the  Mountain  Spirit 

**Lord  of  the  Mountain, 
Reared  within  the  mountain, 
Young  Man,  Chieftain, 
Hear  a  young  man's  prayer! 
Hear  a  prayer  for  cleanness, 
Keeper  of  the  strong  rain 
Drumming  on  the  mountain; 


1  Used  by  permission,  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  publishers. 


IN  HIS  NAME  199 

Lord  of  the  small  rain 

That  restores  the  earth  in  newness; 

Keeper  of  the  clean  rain. 

Hear  a  prayer  for  wholeness. 

"Young  Man,  Chieftain, 
Hear  a  prayer  for  fleetness, 
Keeper  of  the  deer*s  way, 
Reared  amid  the  eagles, 
Clear  my  feet  of  slothness, 
Keeper  of  the  paths  of  men, 
Hear  a  prayer  for  straightness. 

"Hear  a  prayer  for  courage, 
Lord  of  the  thin  peaks, 
Reared  amid  the  thunders; 
Keeper  of  the  headlands, 
Holding  up  the  harvest, 
Keeper  of  the  strong  rocks, 
Hear  a  prayer  for  staimchness. 

"Young  Man,  Chieftain, 
Spirit  of  the  Mountain!"* 

Now  let  us  go  back  to  the  very  important  thing  about 
prayer — realizing  our  oneness  with  God,  and  say  it  in  a 
diflferent  way.  Prayer  is  something  like  turning  on  an 
electric  light  or  connecting  an  electric  sweeper  or  washer 
or  an  electric  iron  or  an  electric  stove.  You  get  into 
direct  contact  with  the  power  that  makes  things  happen. 
The  power  is  always  there,  just  as  God  is  always  there, 
although  you  have  to  connect  up  in  your  thoughts  and 
feelings  just  as  you  have  to  connect  up  the  electrical 
apparatus  with  the  supply  current. 

When  you  come  to  think  more  about  it  there  will  be 

» Permission  to  quote  from  The  Path  on  the  Rainbow,  Boni  &  Liveright,  pub- 
lishers. 


200  CITIZEN,  JR. 

some  interesting  comparisons  between  the  things  that 
you  desire  when  you  pray,  and  ways  of  using  those 
electrical  appliances.  Let's  see.  You  know  about  turn- 
ing on  the  electrical  light  of  course,  from  an  early  lesson. 
That  is  when  you  pray  to  know  how  to  shine  with  God 
in  whatever  you  do.  Using  the  electric  sweeper  and 
washer  is  like  times  when  you  want  the  power  of  God 
to  clean  up  some  wrong  or  mistaken  ways  in  which  you 
have  been  living.  The  electric  iron  is  like  the  sort  of 
prayer  that  brings  the  peace  of  God  into  troublesome 
things  and  smooths  them  all  out  and  rests  and  refreshes 
you,  bringing  blessedness  to  you  and  to  other  people 
near  you.  And  using  the  electric  stove  is  like  the  prayers 
that  seek  the  power  of  God  to  cause  many  kinds  of  things 
to  happen  that  you  want  to  do  or  achieve. 

By  holding  yourself  still  and  dropping  everything  else 
from  your  thoughts,  as  the  Indians  did,  as  you  think  of 
God,  you  can  ''connect  up''  by  wanting  him  to  show  you 
how  to  pray  for  whatever  you  wish  or  need.  StiUness  and 
desire  to  know — these  are  the  important  things  to  re- 
member. 

No  matter  if  you  do  not  understand  how  prayer  can 
do  all  these  things.  Nobody  knows  just  how  the  miracle 
happens.  But  if  you  will  make  a  habit  of  trying  it  again 
and  again,  you  will  find  out,  as  millions  of  other  people 
have  done,  that  wonderful  things  do  result.  As  long  as 
you  live  you  can  go  on  finding  out  more  and  more  plainly 
that  prayer  means  listening  to  God,  waiting  to  know, 
just  as  much  as  it  means  making  things  happen.  You 
can  learn  to  pray  all  day  long  in  little  bits  of  prayers  and 
make  it  such  a  habit  that  it  will  come  as  naturally  as 
breathing  or  walking.  You  can  pray  about  common, 
everyday  things,  lessons,  letters,  study,  reciting,  remem- 
bering, playing,  working — just  everything!    Prayer  is 


IN  HIS  NAME  20I 

finding  our  Father  and  bringing  his  heaven  into  this 
world. 

Review  Section 

Have  you  worked  out  a  citizen's  prayer  of  your  own?  You 
need  not  show  it  to  anybody  unless  you  wish. 

Does  prayer  have  to  be  in  words? 

Must  it  be  said  aloud? 

How  can  it  help  you  to  grow? 

What  is  the  most  important  thing  for  you  to  know  about 
prayer? 

When  you  read  over  *'The  Citizen's  Prayer"  in  this  lesson, 
how  many  times  do  you  find  something  that  compares 
with  an  earlier  lesson  that  you  have  had? 

LESSON  32 
IN  REMEMBRANCE 

When  this  book  of  yours  was  being  planned  some 
citizens  who  are  growing  up  were  helping  to  decide  what 
should  be  in  it.  They  felt  that  you  would  like  one  of  the 
lessons  to  be  about  the  communion,  for  they  said  that 
they  would  have  been  glad  of  one  themselves.  They 
thought  that  although  most  Junior  Citizens  know  in  a 
way  what  the  service  means,  many  do  not  know  very  well 
how  to  find  help  in  it. 

They  had  noticed  that  boys  often  feel  bored  and  rest- 
less during  the  time  of  the  service  that  seems  so  long  and 
quiet.  And  they  had  noticed  that  girls  sometimes  are 
nervous  and  excited  and  find  it  hard  to  keep  from 
giggling  although  wanting  to  be  quiet.  The  excitement 
and  the  stillness  and  their  not  quite  understanding  how 
to  take  part  sometimes  makes  the  girls  all  wrought  up 
until  they  scarcely  know  what  to  do.  Then  when  they 
are  feeling  all  tense,  somebody  giggles  and  the  rest  follow 


202  CITIZEN,  JR. 

although  they  do  not  want  to  do  it.  Then  somebody  older 
looks  cross  or  scolds  them  so  that  the  girls  begin  to  dread 
the  times  that  the  service  is  held.  They  almost  wish 
that  they  did  not  have  to  attend. 

Another  person  said  that  often  Junior  Citizens  are 
puzzled  because  some  of  the  older  ones  cry  during  the 
service,  and  that  others  who  seem  most  solemn  and 
reverent  during  the  time  of  the  celebration  are  cross  and 
cranky  even  about  little  things  after  going  home.  That 
makes  it  seem  as  if  the  service  didn't  help  much. 

Your  teacher  may  wish  to  tell  you  many  things  in 
regard  to  the  communion,  but  here  in  this  lesson  you  can 
try  to  work  out  how  using  the  service,  "In  His  Name," 
can  help  with  the  difficulties  that  we  have  just  spoken 
of.  In  addition  you  may  find  how  to  use  it  in  wonderful 
ways. 

You  know  how  glad  you  are  when  you  are  invited  to 
diimer  with  friends.  There  is  something  about  eating 
together  that  makes  you  feel  closer  to  them.  Usually 
people  do  not  ask  you  very  often  to  their  table  unless  they 
know  you  well.  So  eating  with  people  is,  in  a  way,  a 
sign  of  intimacy  with  them,  a  sort  of  sharing  a  part  of 
their  life  with  them. 

As  you  know,  the  communion  is  often  spoken  of  as 
God's  table.  We  all  as  friends  and  children  of  his,  gather 
around  to  share  in  his  life  in  a  special  and  intimate  way 
for  a  while.  The  bread  and  the  wine  that  we  use  carry 
out  the  same  idea  of  life  that  is  shared. 

You  remember  that  in  the  lesson  on  money  we  spoke 
of  bread  as  a  symbol  of  life.  We  eat  bread  to  nourish 
our  bodies.  And  so  when  we  eat  the  consecrated  bread 
at  communion  time  we  can  realize  that  we  partake  of  the 
life  of  God  which  made  the  life  of  Jesus  what  it  was,  a 
splendid  revelation  of  God.  As  we  think  of  his  life-bring- 


IN  HIS  NAME  203 

ing  death  and  recall  his  words,  "This  is  my  body  broken 
for  you/'  we  can  see  again  how  he  was  offering  us  his  very 
life  to  share  the  holy  gift  that  he  had  from  his  Father 
and  ours. 

Wine  too  is  a  symbol  of  life.  The  juice  of  the  grapes, 
the  life-giving  substance  of  the  vine,  has  made  it.  Jesus 
spoke  of  it  as  his  blood,  and  blood,  we  know,  is  a  symbol 
of  life — the  moving,  quickening,  circulating  power  that 
constantly  builds  up  our  bodies  and  brings  them  new 
life. 

We  meet  at  God's  table  to  remember  Jesus  and  to 
share  anew  in  God's  life.  No  wonder  it  is  a  solemn,  holy 
time.  But  how  can  it  bring  us  this  life?  If  we  can  answer 
this  question,  we  can  find  help  for  restless,  giggling  and 
tearful  people  who  are  under  so  much  strain,  whose  lives 
have  not  grown  by  their  sharing  at  God's  table. 

First  of  all,  we  must  get  ready  before  we  partake.  We 
must  look  at  ourselves  a  little.  Some  churches  have  an 
order  of  service  printed  out,  that  is  very  helpful  in  this. 
In  it  are  the  test  words,  "Ye  who  do  truly  and  earnestly 
repent  of  your  sins,  and  are  in  love  and  charity  with  your 
neighbors,  and  intend  to  lead  a  new  life,  following  the 
commandments  of  God,  and  walking  from  henceforth  in 
his  holy  ways."  This  gives  several  helps  for  getting  into 
a  right  spirit.  We  can  ask  ourselves  questions  such  as 
whether  we  truly  and  earnestly  turn  away  from  the  wrong 
that  we  have  done,  whether  we  choose  a  loving  attitude 
toward  everybody,  and  whether  we  desire  from  now  on 
to  live  as  members  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  his  family. 

A  teacher  in  a  church  using  such  an  order  of  service 
had  a  class  that  sometimes  quarreled.  When  she  saw 
this  beginning  she  would  arrange  to  have  the  class  attend 
a  celebration  of  the  communion  held  early  on  Sunday 
mornings.  That  helped  a  great  deal,  for,  as  she  explained 


204  CITIZEN,  JR. 

how  they  must  be  in  a  loving  spirit,  they  would  fi^d  it 
easier  to  make  up  and  then  would  share  the  service.  Your 
church  may  not  have  this  form  of  words  nor  the  early 
communion,  but  the  story  may  help  you  to  see  how 
getting  ready  can  help.  And  you  can  memorize  the  words 
quoted  so  as  to  think  them  over  and  question  yourself 
in  preparation. 

This  too  is  the  time  for  the  renewing  of  the  vows  of 
citizenship,  for  recommitting  your  life  to  God  as  you 
partake  of  the  bread  and  wine.  You  can  think,  as  you 
take  the  bread,  "Yes,  the  very  life  of  God,  that  was  in 
Jesus,  is  now  being  shared  by  me.''  As  you  do  so  you 
can  think  of  special  ways  in  which  you  want  to  reveal 
the  glorious  life  of  God  in  your  own.  It  may  be  a  difiSculty 
that  you  want  to  work  out.  It  may  be  a  sin  that  troubles 
you,  it  may  be  a  subject  in  school  that  is  hard.  No 
matter  what  it  is,  the  important  thing  is  to  recognize 
that  you  are  being  connected  by  your  prayer  with  the 
tremendous,  infinite  power  of  God,  as  we  learned  in  the 
last  lesson.  Of  course  you  can't  say  the  words  as  if  they 
were  a  magic  incantation  and  expect  results.  It  is  the  deep, 
quiet  knowing  that  your  life  is  from  God  that  counts. 

When  the  wine  is  passed,  you  can  receive  it  with  a 
similar  thought  as  you  say  to  yourself,  "Yes,  the  trans- 
forming power  of  the  life  of  God  is  expressing  itself  in  me, 
now,  that  I  may  do,  or  be,  or  become  these  things  that 
will  make  me  a  finer  citizen  of  God's  kingdom." 

If  there  is  a  long  wait,  either  before  or  after  you  have 
taken  part  yourself,  you  can  be  very  busy  with  your 
prayers.  One  Junior  Citizen  worked  out  this  plan — to 
pray  specially  at  this  time  for  people  who  were  very 
dear,  and  for  everybody  that  was  in  trouble  or  sick,  or 
who  had  been  unkind;  for  missionaries  and  the  minister 
and  for  the  Sunday-school  teacher;  that  because  of  this 


IN  HIS  NAME  205 

holy  time  in  the  presence  of  God,  an  extra  benefit  might 
come  to  them. 

Another  helpful  plan  for  the  long  waits  is  to  repeat 
verses  from  the  Bible,  ones  that  you  love,  and  think  out 
their  meaning — anything  that  will  bring  you  near  in 
spirit  to  God. 

With  all  these  things  to  do,  for  yourself  and  for  others, 
these  ways  of  sharing  God's  life  at  his  table,  the  time 
will  often  seem  really  short.  You  will  not  want  to  look 
around  and  stare  at  other  folks,  nor  will  you  be  restless 
nor  giggling,  and  there  need  be  no  tears  if  the  service  is 
shared  in  the  spirit  of  the  quiet  peace  of  God's  presence. 
Instead  there  will  be  a  quiet  sweetness  of  temper  and 
power  for  the  quick  overcoming  of  temptation  if  others 
are  annoying.  You  will  be  nearer  God  in  your  thoughts. 
His  power  will  show  in  your  life. 

It  is  well  worth  while  to  try  these  plans  and  to  make  a 
habit  of  having  something  special  that  you  take  to  the 
service  for  help  or  understanding  or  achievement.  At 
first  maybe  you  will  get  only  small  results,  but  as  you 
build  up  the  habit  year  after  year  you  will  find  that 
more  and  more  of  the  life  of  God  will  manifest  in  and 
through  you.  It  is  a  superb  spiritual  achievement.  So 
do  not  give  up  after  an  effort  or  two.  Others  who  have 
practiced  it  have  received  results  that  were  like  miracles. 
There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  come  to  find  them 
too,  for  "it  is  God  that  worketh  in  you." 

Here  are  questions  that  will  help  you  to  test  your 
knowledge  of  this  lesson. 

How  are  the  bread  and  the  wine  used  at  the  communion 
symbols  of  God's  life? 

How  can  you  get  ready  for  the  communion? 

If  next  Sunday  were  communion,  what  would  you 
choose  as  a  special  thing  to  pray  about? 


2o6  CITIZEN,  JR. 

In  what  ways  can  you  keep  in  the  spirit  of  prayer 
during  the  long  waits? 

Closing 

We  have  come  to  the  close  of  the  lesson  and  to  the  end 
of  our  book  with  its  studies  in  citizenship.  Though  it 
seems  to  be  an  end,  if  you  have  caught  the  real  meaning 
of  the  lessons  you  can  see  that  in  a  way,  you  are  beginning. 
You  are  like  a  person  who  has  taken  a  course  in  short- 
hand, typewriting,  telegraphy,  etc.  A  start  has  been  made. 
Rules  have  been  learned  and  practiced  a  little.  What 
comes  now  is  continued  daily  practice  to  become  an 
expert. 

You  imderstand,  now,  more  about  the  diamond  of  your 
citizenship,  with  its  many  facets.  You  see  how  citizen- 
ship in  the  home,  at  school,  in  the  community,  nation, 
church,  and  world,  are  essentially  one,  part  of  the  great 
citizenship  of  the  good,  God's  kingdom.  You  have  made 
a  good  start  in  applying  what  you  have  learned.  From  now 
on  your  success  will  depend  on  how  you  practice  citizen- 
ship from  day  to  day  and  year  to  year  as  you  apply  what 
you  have  learned.  Prayer  and  the  communion  will  be  the 
greatest  helps  you  can  have. 

Like  the  members  of  the  organization  known  as  the 
IQng's  Daughters  and  Sons,  you  will  try  to  Hve  your  life 
*Tn  His  Name.'*  And  so  you  will  live  out  the  spirit  of 
your  sacred  oath  of  citizenship. 

Sacramentum — The  Sacred  Oath 

"To  thee.  Master,  submitting  myself  wholly 
to  be  and  do  whatever  thou  commandest — to  thee 
subject  most  reUgiously,  body  and  soul,  forever." 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  ^.^«=l?„ 


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BKRKiaEY,  CALIFOPJSTTA 


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